Education reform

Ages 0 to 2 Timeouts can be effective discipline for toddlers. A child who has been hitting, biting, or throwing food, for example, should be told why the behavior is unacceptable and taken to a designated timeout area ? a kitchen chair or bottom stair ? for a minute or two to calm down (longer timeouts are not effective for toddlers). Ages 3 to 5 Explain to kids what you expect of them before you punish them for a certain behavior. For instance, the first time your 3-year-old uses crayons to decorate the living room wall, discuss why that's not allowed and what will happen if your child does it again (for instance, your child will have to help clean the wall and will not be able to use the crayons for the rest of the day). Ages 6 to 8