Research has shown that time-outs have many unfavorable effects on a child’s developing brain and emotional skills. On the surface, time-outs look like an effective, non-violent way to modify misbehavior, but any child who has been asked to face the corner, sit on the steps, or been isolated to their room in the midst of their big emotions will tell you that time-outs are another form of punishment. This forced isolation, or removal of nurturing connection, was then taught to parents in order to reform the behavior of their child as an alternative to violent techniques such as spanking. Studies show that these practices negatively affect a child’s developing brain, decreasing the gray matter and connective tissue between brain cells, which influences a child’s ability to learn and affects social and emotional development.Īs these findings came to light, behaviorists and psychoanalysts began studying wildlife and noticed the removal of attention in order to modify behavior. Today, many parenting experts agree on the adverse effects of corporal punishment when trying to modify children’s behavior. But are punishment and time-outs the best parenting practices?

When your child misbehaves, how do you respond?įor many generations, misbehavior has been met with punishments such as spankings and later evolved to the use of time-outs.

Time out corner kid