Naughty chair
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A Naughty Chair is a device used by some parents to administer a time out discipline to toddlers. It is considered to be a means for parents to avoid physically harming their toddlers, but still enforcing a behavioural change. Its use is advocated by Supernanny.
Applying the method
Misbehaving toddlers are required to sit on the Naughty Chair whilst everything else in the household carries on around them, without their involvement
The deprivation of rights, choice and mobility is seen as an effective, non-violent form of punishment. It provides the opportunity for the toddler to consider their actions and calm down from a tantrum. As such, time spent on the Naughty Chair in minutes should be roughly equal the toddler’s age in years.
A misbehaving toddler should not be ordered to sit on a Naughty Chair until the toddler is mature enough to have reasoning and communication skills to understand the instruction to do so.
The use of a Naughty Chair represents an action of opportunity - a parent needs to order the toddler to the Naughty Chair as the toddler is doing something naughty (or just after) so that the toddler can easily associate their actions with your punishment. The naming of the chair as Naughty further enforces to the toddler the concept of naughtiness and how their actions where considered naughty.
Waiting for a long period to send a toddler to the Naughty Chair will not be effective as the association is lost on their limited attention span.
The toddler leaves the Naughty Chair when the parent permits. When this occurs it is important for the parent to reinforce to the toddler their love for them, ideally through a cuddle. The parent needs to show the toddler that they love them, but were unhappy with the toddler's behaviour. Never let the toddler feel that they are not loved.
Location
Naughty Chairs can exist anywhere including places like a Grandparents home. Further, alternatives to a Naughty Chair can be a Naughty Room/Mat/Spot/Step/Square/Circle/Corner. Ideally a child should still be visible from the Naughty Chair and the Naughty Chair should pose no benefits through its placement, such as line-of-sight to a television or access to toys.Length of time
[A good rule to follow] when putting your child in the Naughty Chair is one minute for each year of age starting at age two. This means a two year old will sit for 2 minutes. Time should not start until the child is sitting and not screaming.See also
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