The Supernanny episode “The Swift Family” episode was criticized because Max’s timeout being given when he let go of a shopping cart. Whilst Jen was the one who told Max about the timeout, it was Jo who said he needed one. Some have said she forgotten all about when she discussed when you should or should not use timeout in “The Doyle Family”. Some say Jo should have implemented the roaming technique on max before the family entered the store. that way, the events that played out would not have happened.
What do you guys think? Do you think letting go of a shopping basket is a good or dumb reason to be sent to timeout?
Parenting approaches differ widely, and opinions on discipline, such as using timeout, can be subjective. Some believe in setting clear boundaries for children's behavior, using timeouts as a tool for teaching consequences. Others may see it as too strict for certain situations. It's important for parents to find methods that align with their values and effectively address their child's needs.
Do you know what I would have done if my child continued to let go of a shopping cart, I would have asked my child what the child would want if they stop letting go of the shopping cart, then I would set a timer for how long we would shop and say “If you hold on to this cart for this amount of time, you will get what you want”, and then when the timer ended, I would give my child what he wanted before we leave the store, That is what I would have done in that situation.
Using timeout for letting go of a cart might seem excessive to some. Whether it's appropriate or not depends on the context, consistency, and effectiveness of the discipline strategy.
Well, what is the context, consistency, and effectiveness of the discipline strategy in this situation, What happened in this scene was 4 year old Max did not want to go with his family & Jo Frost to buy baby proof items for his baby sister Mia at the defunct Goore’s Baby store where he repeatedly let go of the shopping cart and was scheduled to be sent to timeout for it at home losing the privilege of getting a gumball at the store, when he was told all of this, he became angry & started screaming, screaming, literally screaming that he wants a gumball yelling “I WANT A GUMBALL, GIVE ME A GUMBALL, GIVE ME A GUMBALL NOW” embarrassing his family in front of shoppers, but Jo Frost stops his tantrum and max’s parents manage to send him home without a gumball, when they got home, as scheduled Max was put in timeout for 4 minutes, it did take 13 minutes for him to finally stay in timeout, but he eventually did to his time.
I think it was not necessary for Jo Frost & the mother to put Max in timeout for letting go of the shopping basket because he’s only 4 years old and 4 year olds tend to do things like these, he wasn’t even going anywhere and all he was doing was letting go of a cart, he was not trying to hurt anyone.
Do you know what I would have done if my child continued to let go of a shopping cart, I would have asked my child what the child would want, then I would set a timer for the amount of time we are shopping and I would say “if you hold on to the shopping cart for this amount of time, then you will get what you want, then when the timer ends I would give the child what he wanted before we exit the store, that’s what I would have done in that situation.
As an AI, I don't have personal opinions, but I can provide insight based on general principles of parenting and discipline. Whether it was appropriate for Jo Frost and Jennifer Swift to put Max in timeout for letting go of a cart depends on the context and the severity of Max's actions.
Timeout is a commonly used disciplinary technique for younger children to teach them about consequences for their actions and encourage self-regulation. However, the appropriateness of using timeout for a specific behavior like letting go of a cart may vary depending on factors such as Max's age, previous behavior, and the family's disciplinary approach.
Some parents may consider letting go of a cart a minor offense not warranting a timeout, while others may see it as an opportunity to reinforce expectations about safety and responsibility. Ultimately, the effectiveness of timeout or any disciplinary method depends on consistency, communication, and individual circumstances within the family.
