the idea with parents who are struggling with their child’s behavior at
home.
When kids get the same message from everyone at home and at
school, this cross-situational consistency makes the program much
more powerful and easier for the children to learn. Whether at home
or at school, “That’s 1” means “You’re doing something wrong, and
it’s time to shape up.”
We have found that home-school coordination of the 1-2-3
program is especially helpful with behaviorally difficult children.
When both parents and teachers use counting fairly and consistently,
and when they also respect the No Talking and No Emotion Rules, we
have seen positive changes take place in the behavior of some very
challenging kids.
Time-Out Alternatives (TOAs)
For various reasons, there may be times when you do not want to use
a time-out as the consequence for a child arriving at a count of 3.
Perhaps there isn’t time for a rest period when you’re dashing out the
door in the morning. Perhaps you feel you want a consequence with a
little more clout, or perhaps you want a consequence that fits the
crime. The judicious use of time-out alternatives can be of great
value. Here are some TOA possibilities:
- Earlier bedtime
- No dessert or treat
- No use of phone
- No friend over
- No conversation—fifteen minutes
- Removal of DVD, iPod
- Reduced computer time