How to do the 'naughty step'?

My little boy is 16 months and starting to get much more independant.

Most of the time he is great but sometimes needs a bit of disipline. I would never be violant so had a go at the 'naughty step' today, which he seemed to understand.

Question is: should you explain why they are going there or just take them without talking. Also, do you just ignore them and for how long?

Ta

Usually it's just a case of a simple statement of fact (pinching the cat is naughty), added to what you're going to do (when you're naughty you don't get to play, so you have to sit on the step and think about what you did wrong), then effectively ignore them (but not really, cos you have to be checking that they're staying there).

For one as young as 16 months, literally a minute or two is long enough, followed by a routine of and a hug and a reminder to be nice.

As they get older they get better at understanding what's expected and their attention span increases so you can leave them for a bit longer.

EDIT- the key thing for me is that they need to understand what they've done or not done that's wrong. The naughty step's pointless without that understanding.

I think the formula is:

tell them what you want done,

no response - naughty step,

ignore any tantrums/throwing things/screaming,

30 seconds for each year of their age,

return to child,

explain why they're there,

extract an apology,

hugs and make up

Thanks to you both, it seems that my first attempt was along the right lines:) He knew something was going on.

tell them what you want done,

no response - naughty step,

This is familiar as we know he understands us but sometimes choses to ignore us and pretends to be deaf.

We put Sophie on the step for a minute for each year.

Jabber

as a first attempt, my plan was to leave him for one minute. But he didn't get it untill the third try. Then he got it and stayed sat there looking sad untill I went and picked him up with big hug. He's only 16 months after all, but you need to start at some point I assume. Never been here before.

I will be doing the step again as it seemed to work.

It does work!

Im adding my pennys worth here and I really shouldnt! Im too soft to even raise my voice to my daughter, I leave it to her mum for all the "Bad" stuff, but the step does work wonders!

My other half even threatens to sit me on it when Im being particularly daft.

It's the other way here.

Mum will let the little man get away with a lot of things, but he is now old enough to learn the rules. And it appears I will have to be the one to enforce them

She's a great mum BTW.

It's the other way here.

 

Mum will let the little man get away with a lot of things, but he is now old enough to learn the rules. And it appears I will have to be the one to enforce them

 

She's a great mum BTW.

Yeah the case is one parent means fun and one means business! In our case, Im the fun one, when I try to discipline my daughter I either have to try to stop laughing or crying depending on the situation.

She knows this too and plays up to it, shes got me firmly wrapped around her little finger.

The earlier you start with this sort of thing then the more effective it is- he's just coming to the age when he can understand why 'no' means 'no'.

We've never really needed the naughty step with niecelet- she gets on just fine with counting to 5, but my stepdaughter got worked up about things, so using the quiet corner of the kitchen worked well to allow her time to calm herself back down and start again. By the time she was 4 we didn't impose a specific time on her- she could come back to everyone else when she felt ready.

I need to learn to be able to keep a straight face when Im telling my daughter off. Its bloody hard work sometimes.

Usually it's just a case of a simple statement of fact (pinching the cat is naughty),

You've been there then. Trouble is we have three:o