The Case Against Time-out

by Peter Haiman, Ph.D.

For generations, parents have sought a reliable and dependable way to handle childhood misbehavior. The most recent and popular discipline technique is time-out. Although time-out is better than spanking, it is not an appropriate way for parents to cope with the misbehavior of their children. Moreover, the use of time-out can create subsequent childhood behavior problems. These problems can affect the well-being of the child and severely strain the parent-child relationship.

Child Behavior - A Symptom

The behavior of children has a legitimate cause. Childhood behavior is determined, for the most part, by how children feel about the current state of their physical and psychosocial needs. Needs are strong in every child, and children are, by nature, sensitive to their own needs. If one or more of their needs are not met, children will soon feel uncomfortable.

Children will cry out when they feel uncomfortable. An infant or toddler's cry announces feelings of frustration. These cries have evolved as a survival mechanism. They attract parental attention. The purpose of a cry is to obtain the kind and quality of parental love and care that will properly attend to unmet needs and, therefore, establish feelings of security in the child. The misbehavior of older children and adolescents is a cry for help announcing that their needs are frustrated.

Cries and misbehavior from children and adolescents are, in a way, very much like a sore throat, stuffed up nose, aching muscles, or a fever. All are symptoms. All have causes. A medical practitioner knows that when the virus or bacteria that is causing physical symptoms is eliminated, the noxious feelings will be quelled. Similarly, when parents correctly diagnose and provide remedies that address the needs of children and adolescents, the symptoms of crying or misbehavior will also disappear.

The frustration of important needs does not feel good at any age. However, children can become quite upset and demanding when their needs are not met. Their often intense outbursts stem, in part, from their dependent nature. Unlike most adults, young children lack the ability to meet their own needs. They are physically unable to do most self-care tasks. By nature, they also have strong emotional needs and vulnerabilities. Moreover, unlike most adults, young children are unable to tolerate frustration well. In addition, infants, toddlers, and many preschool-aged children are unable to identify the frustrated needs that are making them upset. This makes it impossible for most young children to tell their parents what is bothering them and why they are often unable independently to get their needs fulfilled.

Time-out

When time-out is used, parents first firmly demand that their child stop misbehaving and be quiet. The child is then usually required to go and sit alone in a room, away from parents, and admonished not to come out of the room until they are sure that they can control their behavior. Being placed in time-out prolongs the time that a child must endure the frustrated need that caused their misbehavior. Thus, unmet normal needs become increasingly uncomfortable as the time-out continues. Young children depend upon, want to be with, love, and need their parents.

What exacerbates this increasingly uncomfortable state of being frustrated is the fact that the child must be alone, away from the parents who they must rely upon to meet their needs, This enforced separation from their basic source of comfort, security, and well-being adds considerably to the woe of a child. Moreover, being alone in time-out can create additional disturbing feelings that the child must endure. Painful emotions like fear and worry often develop. A frustrated child who must sit quietly and alone in time-out frequently becomes angry. Although the youngster dare not express this anger when in time-out, the child often expresses it by becoming angry and defiant sometime after being released from time-out. The practice of separating a child in time-out from parents can in itself become the cause of future misbehavior, because being alone and in time-out increases the frustrations felt by a child who is already frustrated.

Interpersonal dilemmas and conflicts are best resolved when each individual has sufficient opportunity to talk to and be heard by the other person. Modeling, initiating, and practicing the process of open dialogue is essential if a youngster is to learn healthy problem solving. Does time-out lend itself to this process? Helping children talk about how they feel, combined with parental patience, is required if children are to develop the ability to verbalize their feelings and needs rather than act them out.

Lifelong Effects of Frequent Time-out

For the frustrated and uncomfortable child, time-out offers enforced silence and the feeling of being rejected by one's parents. A youngster who misbehaves and then is given time-out feels hurt. This hurt, combined with the frustration that caused the youngster to misbehave, gives birth to anger. And discipline practices like time-out, which create hurt and anger, can harm a child.

A serious cost of being given time-out in childhood is the lesson that one should bottle up uncomfortable emotions. Upset in time-out and unable to express distressing feelings, youngsters desperately need to stop the painful feelings going on inside them. To cope, children learn to ignore and/or distract themselves from the energy of their hurt and angry feelings. Thus, children learn to repress their painful feelings. In the process, nervous habits emerge such as thumb sticking, fingernail biting, hair pulling, skin scratching, tugging at clothes, self-pinching, and many other similar behaviors. The purpose of these behaviors is to ward off uncomfortable feelings and, in identification with their parents' criticism of them, to punish themselves. These defense strategies serve to release anger and ignore uncomfortable feelings.

As a result, being unaware of true feelings can often become a characteristic feature of a person's life. This reduces a person's self-awareness and can affect the quality of life throughout an entire lifetime.

Developing the Well-behaved Child

Parents can develop a well-behaved, self-disciplined child best by responsively and continuously meeting their child's developmentally normal needs and drives; by demonstrating and articulating humane values in day-to-day interactions with their youngster; and by exposing their child to life experiences that strengthen and reinforce these values. Troubled and spoiled children are created when parents do not meet their child's normal needs and drives consistently and appropriately.

What are the basic, normal childhood needs? If a child is physically healthy, well nourished, satisfactorily exercised, and not tired, the youngster's physical needs are being met. A youngster who has received sufficient and continuous satisfying attention, affection, and recognition from parents and other adults and children to whom the child is emotionally attached, the child's social and emotional needs are fulfilled. If a child's normal curiosity, exploratory nature, and intrinsic interests are regularly allowed opportunities to unfold and develop, the intellectual needs of that child will be satisfied. When young children are given opportunities, within a securely supportive and trustworthy environment, to become increasingly more independent, make choices, and meaningfully participate in decision making, their normal need to exercise some control over their life and to express their own will are being appropriately addressed.

It is very important for parents and parents-to-be to learn the developmentally normal characteristics' of each stage of early human development. It is also important to recognize a virulent myth that still exists in our society: that fully meeting a child's needs will spoil the child. The research literature clearly says that the opposite is true. The well-disciplined child is created when parents appropriately fulfill the needs of childhood and adolescence.

So after reading that do you agree with this so called philosophy?

so basically no form of discipline is acceptable anymore. :puzz huh well my kids have suffered no ill side effects from time out or spanking.. maybe they are mutants??

so basically no form of discipline is acceptable anymore. :puzz huh well my kids have suffered no ill side effects from time out or spanking.. maybe they are mutants??


i guess mine are too :lmao

so basically no form of discipline is acceptable anymore. :puzz huh well my kids have suffered no ill side effects from time out or spanking.. maybe they are mutants??

Sooner or later they're just gonna tell us that letting them run wild is better than disciplining... :tsktsk

I don't think it holds any credence.. my daughter gets popped on the butt, and put in the corner when she deserves it. Usually a warning suffices, but there've been times where she's spent a good amount of time in the corner because of her behavior. She's still a very loving child and we have a great bond.

Just another way to ensure that the children of today turn into whining, screaming maniacs.:lol I mean, by not using any form of discipline.

The punishment must fit the crime. My child has been spanked (not a lot but at times has been), put into time out, and I'm gonna keep doing it.

Guess what! They have time outs in the real world too...its called jail.

I'm so tired of those type of people forcing and blaming everything on parents.

Just another way to ensure that the children of today turn into whining, screaming maniacs.:lol I mean, by not using any form of discipline.
yup.. by giving into their every need which really equals every want.. :lol

if something works for your family keep doing it (within reason, abuse no)

eta: explaining why your kid got put in time out is important too

You know what I honestly think. I think that these people have too much time on their hands. They sit around and tell us don't do this or that. What our parents did as "parents" isn't suitable enough anymore. What we are doing now isn't either. I blame the way that kids are disciplined "these days" on how the world is turning out.... violent, rude and just straight scary.

Love, care, comfort = possitive reinforcement. If they behave then they get this with no strings attached and as much as I can spread all over!
Quiet, alone, stillness = time out. This teaches self CONTROL when the child is OUT of CONTROL and for all of our kids it's worked GREAT.

Once self control is obtained and the child is behaved and quiet THEN we can deal with the problem and they can THEN have love, care and comfort.

You cannot DEAL with the problem when the child is on the floor and rolling, screaming and being a butt.
It's like Tinkerbell - Too tiny to have more than one emotion at a time!

as a nanny time outs are my only form of discipline mind you they last less then five minutes usuallly...but what else am i supposed to do when the kid is spitting because she wanted juice and there is none...?
whatever i was spanked with a belt as a kid had time outs and what not and im fine :D

so basically no form of discipline is acceptable anymore. :puzz huh well my kids have suffered no ill side effects from time out or spanking.. maybe they are mutants??

Yeah, that was pretty much my first thought also.

Kids are NOT adults. They should not be treated like adults. They are children and children need discipline.

Discipline should be a learning experience and done with respect, but it is not supposed to be fun for them. Kudos to any parent who is able to teach a child how to grow into a full functional, respectful adult without ever having to use any form of punishment along the way. :nutts

So, I guess when your teen decides to get into some teen trouble like what teens do, there should be no grounding to their room or from the phone or from their car or anything else.... because that might traumatize them :( So, let's just let them be wreckless, selfish people and end up hurting themselves or someone else, right? :nutts

Yeah, that was pretty much my first thought also.

Kids are NOT adults. They should not be treated like adults. They are children and children need discipline.

Discipline should be a learning experience and done with respect, but it is not supposed to be fun for them. Kudos to any parent who is able to teach a child how to grow into a full functional, respectful adult without ever having to use any form of punishment along the way. :nutts

So, I guess when your teen decides to get into some teen trouble like what teens do, there should be no grounding to their room or from the phone or from their car or anything else.... because that might traumatize them :( So, let's just let them be wreckless, selfish people and end up hurting themselves or someone else, right? :nutts


Agree with what you said here! Well put.

Face it, this world is going to hell in a hand basket. Please excuse the language.:)

The behavior of children has a legitimate cause.

:puzz Sometimes they are just being brats.

:rofl funniest freaking article ever!!
We employ time outs here!! 1 min for every year of age. Zach 7-7 mins Ash 4- gets 4 mins.
The idea that time outs are somehow hurting their fragile sensibilities is freakin laughable!!!

i think all these yuppies who write these articles probably have screaming brats they dump off at the nanny's for the day. that way the nanny can deal with them. either that or men who work 15 hours a day and aren't around to see what happens when you don't spank or throw them in time-out. if you don't discipline a child they are going to turn into out of control brats. i was spanked and put in time-out and i think i turned out ok. my mom even bit me when i bit the other kids in daycare, and you know what? i never did it again!!!!

let's just cater to our kids and give them everything they want. then see what happens.

We do time-outs but most of the time they are not for Trent but for me. It gives me a few minutes to cool down so I can address the issue calmly instead of flying off the handle. Then I come to Trent and explain to him why what he did was wrong and such.

:rofl funniest freaking article ever!!
We employ time outs here!! 1 min for every year of age. Zach 7-7 mins Ash 4- gets 4 mins.
The idea that time outs are somehow hurting their fragile sensibilities is freakin laughable!!!

Man..I must be harsh. I expect 3 min of quiet time. If he is throwing a fit and screaming around, he can not get out until he is quiet. After that, we explain to him, again, why he was in timeout and he is expected to give a hug and say I'm sorry.

Man..I must be harsh. I expect 3 min of quiet time. If he is throwing a fit and screaming around, he can not get out until he is quiet. After that, we explain to him, again, why he was in timeout and he is expected to give a hug and say I'm sorry.

That is EXACTLY how we do it!

That is EXACTLY how we do it!

Our neighbors must think we beat our child because of his screaming.

You have to train up a child in the way they should go...not the way society is.

Our neighbors must think we beat our child because of his screaming.

You have to train up a child in the way they should go...not the way society is.

We do it the same way.. she MUST be completely quiet for 3 mins.. about to be 4 mins, since she's having a birthday soon.. Time doesn't start until she's silent.. and should she talk or whine once time's started, we restart once she quiets back down... I'm sadistic.. :sarcasm

We do time-outs but most of the time they are not for Trent but for me. It gives me a few minutes to cool down so I can address the issue calmly instead of flying off the handle. Then I come to Trent and explain to him why what he did was wrong and such.


I do that. I also don't just isolate the kids in a corner. I separate the child from the situation, we discuss the issue, and figure out a positive way to deal with a "like" situation next time. My kids always get hugs after a talking to or spanking, but I've found just sitting them or any other child in the corner does nothing beside frustrate the kid and drive me nuts.

Well I would just like to say that I don't hit, spank, time out, take toys away, nothing. My children wild and free like the animals in the Savannah.

Well I would just like to say that I don't hit, spank, time out, take toys away, nothing. My children wild and free like the animals in the Savannah.

African lionesses bite the heads of their unruly cubs. Just sayin'.

I do that. I also don't just isolate the kids in a corner. I separate the child from the situation, we discuss the issue, and figure out a positive way to deal with a "like" situation next time. My kids always get hugs after a talking to or spanking, but I've found just sitting them or any other child in the corner does nothing beside frustrate the kid and drive me nuts.

We also always hug and kiss afterwards. I always say I am sorry for yelling after he tells me his is sorry also. I guess I give my 3 year old mutual respect which I think he deserves.

Yeah, that was pretty much my first thought also.

Kids are NOT adults. They should not be treated like adults. They are children and children need discipline.

Discipline should be a learning experience and done with respect, but it is not supposed to be fun for them. Kudos to any parent who is able to teach a child how to grow into a full functional, respectful adult without ever having to use any form of punishment along the way. :nutts

So, I guess when your teen decides to get into some teen trouble like what teens do, there should be no grounding to their room or from the phone or from their car or anything else.... because that might traumatize them :( So, let's just let them be wreckless, selfish people and end up hurting themselves or someone else, right? :nutts

I agree. If you don't discipline you're kids, then you aren't teaching them! They don't come out of the womb knowing how to act and handle every new situation. :rolleyes

I can't stand these kinds of articles. Don't spank them, don't put them in time-out....Why do kids even need parents? Last time I checked we aren't just a food and shelter supplier!

I KNOW! I'll just let my kids do whatever the hell they want, then blame society when they are in jail at 16! :sarcasm

Last time I checked we aren't just a food and shelter supplier!



Are you sure? it feels like all Trent does is eat!!!:nutts

African lionesses bite the heads of their unruly cubs. Just sayin'.

Too much of a mess to clean up afterwards

Are you sure? it feels like all Trent does is eat!!!:nutts

:lol Taylor is the same way lately. :puzz

We also always hug and kiss afterwards. I always say I am sorry for yelling after he tells me his is sorry also. I guess I give my 3 year old mutual respect which I think he deserves.

I've read a book that had some great examples on positive parenting. Before I read this book, Juliana was always in trouble, time outs, etc. Not everything applied but I realized that I was not listening to HER, her fits, and tantrums were frustration and putting her in time out only frustrated her more because now she really couldn't tell me or get me to see what is bothering her. I listen better, I also try to redirect a situation before it escalates. But the hugs always is a big thing for them, after whatever discipline they get if I forget they'll just stand their with this face :sadeyes It reassures them that just because I'm unhappy or dislike their behavior, I still love them.

Are you sure? it feels like all Trent does is eat!!!:nutts

x4 here :nutts All they want to do is EAT!!!

I've read a book that had some great examples on positive parenting. Before I read this book, Juliana was always in trouble, time outs, etc. Not everything applied but I realized that I was not listening to HER, her fits, and tantrums were frustration and putting her in time out only frustrated her more because now she really couldn't tell me or get me to see what is bothering her. I listen better, I also try to redirect a situation before it escalates. But the hugs always is a big thing for them, after whatever discipline they get if I forget they'll just stand their with this face :sadeyes It reassures them that just because I'm unhappy or dislike their behavior, I still love them.




I don't know which book you are talking about, but I've read one too. It was a good book and gave a good perspective. But I also think there are times when they need to know they have done something wrong and it's NOT acceptable. KWIM?

so what are we allowed to do with our children these days...i thought being the parent let you make the rules on your house...and time out is great 1min for every year of age...

I don't know which book you are talking about, but I've read one too. It was a good book and gave a good perspective. But I also think there are times when they need to know they have done something wrong and it's NOT acceptable. KWIM?


No, I completely agree. Kids need to know when things are unacceptable but I just don't like timeouts because they don't work for my children. My kids are chatterboxes and talking through it helps them learn how to deal with a situation or helps thems understand what I expect from them. Spanking is used rarely here, I'm a fierce mama, don't know why but my mama voice gets them better than most any other discipline I could come up with. They've got the "shhhhhht" down :giggle G loves it, we just quietly "shhhhhht" and the kids can here it over most noise, stop what they are doing, looks at one of us and know there must be something we want them to stop.

No, I completely agree. Kids need to know when things are unacceptable but I just don't like timeouts because they don't work for my children. My kids are chatterboxes and talking through it helps them learn how to deal with a situation or helps thems understand what I expect from them. Spanking is used rarely here, I'm a fierce mama, don't know why but my mama voice gets them better than most any other discipline I could come up with. They've got the "shhhhhht" down :giggle G loves it, we just quietly "shhhhhht" and the kids can here it over most noise, stop what they are doing, looks at one of us and know there must be something we want them to stop.

I agree with you. I wasn't critiquing your parenting at all :) Just the book. If you never talk to kids and tell them what they did wrong or what you expect time-outs, spanking, and any other form of punishment is worthless IMO.

I guess it just bothers me when I see parents "talk" to their children and it goes right over their heads. You know what I mean...that lady in the restaurant who has a kid climbing over the back of the booth, and the mom calmly says, "Now Johnny, we don't do that. Sit back down honey." And the next thing you know the kid is poking you in the back of the head with a fork :rofl

I agree with you. I wasn't critiquing your parenting at all :) Just the book. If you never talk to kids and tell them what they did wrong or what you expect time-outs, spanking, and any other form of punishment is worthless IMO.

I guess it just bothers me when I see parents "talk" to their children and it goes right over their heads. You know what I mean...that lady in the restaurant who has a kid climbing over the back of the booth, and the mom calmly says, "Now Johnny, we don't do that. Sit back down honey." And the next thing you know the kid is poking you in the back of the head with a fork :rofl


Oh hell no. :rofl Not my kids. They know or I am instilling in them that for every action there is a reaction, good or bad. I make sure to react to both so that it's not always negative. I've had numerous compliments on how well behaved my kids are but then some will turn around and tell me I'm too strict or I expect too much. Well, you don't get one without the other :giggle They can be my friend when they can pay their own bills, until then, I am the mother, I rule this roost and what I say and expect goes. :yes

we talk about their behavior after timeout. society just wants us to let them run wild then whine when we have a bunch of miscreants on our hands.

my son gets time outs and he sits there till he stops crying and if that means he falls alseep in time out then so be it.. he has also had spankings but those are only done if he is doing something that wil harm him..

From what I read, I don't.

Spanking caused my DD to be more aggressive so I stopped.

I use time-outs with my older 2 kids and it works like a charm. From what I read the causes were from time-out not being used right. Time-out isn't a form to silence your kid. After the time-out I talk with my kids. It gives them a chance to calm down and then we can talk. I've found they are more able to tell me what caused them to act out in the first place after being in time-out cause they've calmed themselves. And once I find out I tell them what they should do next time. There are days when the kids are in the corner a few times. Then days where they only go in once. And then there are times we go days without putting 1 kid in time-out. Before I was spanking my DD all the time everyday. So apparently I must be doing something right. Especially, since she isn't so aggressive anymore and I get comments on how well behaved my kids are when we go out.

OMG. Is this serious? Aren't there better things to worry about than a 5 minute timeout??? My kids are FINE when they are with me. They get the comfort love and nurturing. BUT they also respect me cause I don't put up with any crap. If they can't act right and use their manners....then they can go to their rooms until they decide what to do about their frusterations.

People who actually spend time defending this argument either don't have kids or don't need kids. (rolls eyes and walks away)

I was never spanked and always got time out.

I learned so well having to sit by myself and having privilages taken away...

OMG. Is this serious? Aren't there better things to worry about than a 5 minute timeout??? My kids are FINE when they are with me. They get the comfort love and nurturing. BUT they also respect me cause I don't put up with any crap. If they can't act right and use their manners....then they can go to their rooms until they decide what to do about their frusterations.

People who actually spend time defending this argument either don't have kids or don't need kids. (rolls eyes and walks away)


That was rude. I personally wasn't defending the article, but I also don't use the conventional time out. :rolleyes My children are more well behaved than most, and for you to tell ANYONE that they don't need kids is just tactless, regardless if you agree with their opinion or not. http://forum.militarysos.com/images/icons/td.gif

I think the ONLY time this article would apply is when the child is getting a time out for crying because they aren't getting something they actually DO need (such as crying because they haven't been given food in 24 hours and mommy keeps telling them to go away) .... but then I don't think that time outs are the big issue... I think the big issue is that the child is being neglected/abused.

Any healthy and cared for child can handle and benefit from a time out.

i was spanked and timeouted when I was a kid and i turned out just fine. i learned to not do things I wasnt supposed to cause I hated having to sit in a corner. my parents hated it to cause I would pull at the carpet strings til my 5 minutes or whatever was up. lol

OMG. Is this serious? Aren't there better things to worry about than a 5 minute timeout??? My kids are FINE when they are with me. They get the comfort love and nurturing. BUT they also respect me cause I don't put up with any crap. If they can't act right and use their manners....then they can go to their rooms until they decide what to do about their frusterations.

People who actually spend time defending this argument either don't have kids or don't need kids. (rolls eyes and walks away)

I won't defend the article, because I don't agree with it BUT that was a very rude and uncalled for thing to say. Just because someone doesn't do what YOU think should be done in raising children doesn't give you the right to say they don't have or, worse, shouldn't have children.

Roll your eyes back to the front so you can see that you aren't the be all end all of parenting. *Walks away*

We used to spank, then moved to time outs, now we just speak to him like an adult. :shrug Liam is good at telling us, "I feel angry because..." etc. Sometimes he makes no sense whatsofuckingever, but we listen and it works for us:lol

Time outs are the only thing that works for a lot of kids, though, and why should anyone care how someone else chooses to discipline their child?

I won't defend the article, because I don't agree with it BUT that was a very rude and uncalled for thing to say. Just because someone doesn't do what YOU think should be done in raising children doesn't give you the right to say they don't have or, worse, shouldn't have children.

Roll your eyes back to the front so you can see that you aren't the be all end all of parenting. *Walks away*


:thumbsup

I think the ONLY time this article would apply is when the child is getting a time out for crying because they aren't getting something they actually DO need (such as crying because they haven't been given food in 24 hours and mommy keeps telling them to go away) .... but then I don't think that time outs are the big issue... I think the big issue is that the child is being neglected/abused.

Any healthy and cared for child can handle and benefit from a time out.

I totally agree. I can see where timeouts for crying can be a bad thing if the child actually needs something, but if it's used as a form of discipline for unruly behavior, timeouts can be very useful.

We use them, one minute per year of age which is common.

I totally agree. I can see where timeouts for crying can be a bad thing if the child actually needs something, but if it's used as a form of discipline for unruly behavior, timeouts can be very useful.

We use them, one minute per year of age which is common.

Of course, as Joy was talking about... Time outs are only effective if the child knows WHY they were disciplined... and that they are still LOVED (hugs/kisses)

:rofl funniest freaking article ever!!
We employ time outs here!! 1 min for every year of age. Zach 7-7 mins Ash 4- gets 4 mins.
The idea that time outs are somehow hurting their fragile sensibilities is freakin laughable!!!
:thinking did you get that from super nanny I think I heard it there before
Damn I love that show so much :wub
When I have children they will be spanked and put in time out.
My parents over did it a bit.
But we'll figure out something that isn't as bad as what they kept doing even after I turned 18 :mumble

so basically no form of discipline is acceptable anymore. :puzz huh well my kids have suffered no ill side effects from time out or spanking.. maybe they are mutants??

I thought the same exact thing:rolleyes.....I see so many children who are not disiplined at all. :no

The phrase so called isn't very objective. Just thought you should know.

if something works for your family keep doing it (within reason, abuse no)

eta: explaining why your kid got put in time out is important too

I think your edit holds the key. Time out wasn't explained to me very often.

Total Crap.
For every parenting philosophy shat out by a doctor, an equal and opposite one is shat out by at least two others.
parents have been doing just fine over the generations doing what they think will work.
Go with your gut. Unless you are a total psycho who enjoys beating their kids, no one should tell your your way is wrong.

You know what I honestly think. I think that these people have too much time on their hands. They sit around and tell us don't do this or that. What our parents did as "parents" isn't suitable enough anymore. What we are doing now isn't either. I blame the way that kids are disciplined "these days" on how the world is turning out.... violent, rude and just straight scary.


:yes I agee completely!!!!!

Too many people let their kids run things instead of the other way around, a lot of people dont discipline (or atleast as much as they should be) and kids are rude, no manners, no respect and so so so much more. I have smacked my boys hands and swatted their diapers since they 1st started crawling and getting in to stuff. And I now bust their ass when ever its needed whether it be smarting off, not listening and simply doing something they arent supposed to be doing, Ill be damned if they grow up being ungrateful little assholes and Ill be damned if my kids think they control anything in this house!!

Sorry this is something I feel stronly about there are too many spoiled ass brats in this world these days and its because every generation moreand more peole are not displining their kids and todays kids (most kids not all) are spoiled, ungrateful,whiney little brats who have no mannors what so ever.

HA! I refuse to have my son treat mommy and daddy like doormats! DH & I (L) timeouts when Ethan is acting out of line...

ok
i wonder if the person who wrote this article has any kids?