The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children

by Ross W. Greene

If Gus already knows that he shouldn’t kick Sammy, then he doesn’t need a time-out to remind him . . . he already knows. Lack of knowledge about behavioral expectations isn’t what’s getting in his way. If what’s really going on is that Gus is having trouble coming up with the words to let Sammy know that he’s still playing with certain toys, then we need to help him solve that problem (something no amount of time-outs will accomplish).