As parents, we are all familiar with the idea of a time out. A time out gives our kids time to relax and think about what just happened and how they should respond, or how they should behave differently next time. But for a time out to be most effective, we need to give our children specific guidance so they take the correct lessons away from the time out. Children need to know why we gave them a time out and how they can avoid it one in the future. We also need to make sure we are giving children time out from something they want to do. Time out from video games might be very effective, but time out from chores – not so much! When done right, time out can help teach our children how to manage their own behaviors.