You asked

Is it okay to give my 18-month-old a time out?

By the time your child is 18 months old, you would probably have noticed that their behaviour has changed. Where babies are happy to accept your decisions, toddlers often rebel. This is normal, and is a part of their development, and of learning to express their feelings and desires.

Of course, you’re probably wondering whether it’s okay to give your toddler a time out in order to reinforce your rules.

The truth is, while a time out won’t harm your child, they’re unlikely to make the connection between the bad behaviour and the time out. They’re also not wilfully being naughty – they’re merely expressing their emotions.

A time out at this age will have very little impact either way, and it’s far better to rather avoid the cause of the behaviour you don’t like, or to reason with or console your child when they become unhappy or angry.

Try distraction tactics when you see bad behaviour looming, or simply remove your child from the situation that is causing the problem.

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