9 month old and time outs.

[Breezy]

Went to the doctor for LOs 9 month well baby check, tb skin test and the flu shot yesterday and LOs doctor said I need to start telling him NO mean and sternly when he does something he shouldnt. He then went on to say if he continues to do things I dont want him to after I sternly tell him no then to put him in a time out. A time out? For. my 9 month old? This cant be right? Right?

 

[3011busyyear]

No way! They won't fully understand no at that age! Let alone do it on purpose!
They are learning and they don't know right from wrong, they don't have the capacity to remember something they did ysterday is also wrong today.

Of course learning no and hearing your serious voice will help later on but time out, no way not under toddler age at least.

 

[blondey]

What?! I put LO in a spot and she'll just crawl away!

We are trying to implement the word NO though. Usually it's when she pulls herself up and the tv and tries to turn it on/off. I usually say no sternly and she looks at me, grins and does it anyway! She looks so darn cute though!

Time outs at 9 months? I don't think it'll work and it's a bit harsh seeing as they don't really understand what they are doing is wrong?!

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

Ellie does and has understood the word no from around 10 month but we dont give her time out lol but when we say Ellie NO she laughs and knows shes bad lol x

 

[Lauki]

That seems ridiculous! A baby that age doesn't even have impulse control yet! Surely you can't punish a child for being unable to control their impulses?

Just nod and say yes and go on like you normally do .

 

[punk_pig]

What the he'll does your doctor have to do with how you raise your child? Not all parents practice purely behavioural parenting techniques (attempting to change behaviour through pos and neg reinforcement) with their older children let alone saying you MUST do it with a 9mnth old. I personally never had a time out in my life, nor was I ever grounded. I had a healthy respect for what my parents said based on knowing that they wanted the best for me and to keep me safe. I hated disappointing them too and this was enough to keep me out of trouble.

 

[tommyg]

What a twat of a GP there was a whole thread of outrage on here a few weeks back because a childminder suggested putting a 10 month old in time out

I tell my 9mth old NO when he goes for something he shouldn't (just had to interupt my typing to get him off the laptop cable) and divert his attention to one of his toys

 

[DaisyBee]

At that age distraction is the best tool. You can't expect them to listen to the word no at that age... Even if they understand the meaning. The earliest I have seen time-outs work is around 18 months. We didn't have any luck with them with Megan until around 22 months.

 

[supertabby]

I agree with using "no". Isobel is 7 months and if she goes for something she's not allowed - eg touching the fire or kitchen bin we say "no" in a stern voice. We've been doing it since 6 months and at first we said "no" and physically moved her away at the same time but it only took a couple of weeks for her to catch on. Now we just say no and she stops, sometimes she gives it another try to see what we'll do but we say no again and she goes off to do something else.

Time out though is just ridiculous at that age. A baby that young would have no concept of the situation and you'd never be able to enforce it.

 

[x__amour]

Definitely not! They would just crawl away!

 

[k4th]

That's ridiculous! At 9 mths old there's no way lo will associate sitting somewhere else with their behaviour, plus they'll just get distracted by something else near by so they won't know it's supposed to be a punishment.

We do say 'no' or 'finished' with a cross face but lo just looks quizzical & then starts pulling our faces because we look different. She has no idea we're actually cross

 

[cupcake]

A doctor told you this??
LOL come on!

A nine month old doing time out?
Absolutely not, just say no, and that's it.
I started time out with my older son at 1 year and about 4 months, my younger son at a year ( thank G-D he is very quick to catch on, and very verbal).
They have to understand staying put.

I would never go back to that doctor.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Oh dear.

That is all!

 

[miss h]

hahahahahaha - There is NOW WAY that my 9-month-old would understand a time out. We tell her "NO" sternly and then explain why (usually.. "No. Do not pull mummy's hair because it huts mummy ouch"). I read one of Jo Frost's books (Supernanny) and she suggested getting in the habit of explaining why you are saying "NO" as soon as you start to say it. It's not for the baby as they don't understand, it is to get you in the habit of giving them an explaination of why they can't do that and to start paving the way for the whole warning then naughty step procedure. It made sense to me.

 

[Breezy]

Thanks so much everyone! I knew it had to be crazy talk. I don't much like this doctor and I think I will schedule the next appointment with one I like better in the same practice!

 

[TattiesMum]

What the he'll does your doctor have to do with how you raise your child? .

Quite apart from the fact that time out is meaningless for a child with limited understanding and that I can't see how it would do more than distress a 9 month old, I agree with punkpig 100% ... what the heck has it got to do with your doctor how you choose to raise your child in respect of child behaviour???

They are there for health issues - nothing else and, frankly, this is overstepping the boundaries