How long should a time out last?

What the evidence says

A commonly used rule from health organizations is one minute of time-out for every year of a child's age, which usually works out to about two to five minutes for toddlers and preschoolers. The idea is to keep it brief, use a timer so the child knows what to expect, and require about five seconds of quiet before ending it. Canadian guidance takes a slightly different angle: rather than focusing on exact minutes, the Canadian Paediatric Society emphasizes that a time-out should be a complete break from attention in a quiet, distraction-free spot, and that it should only be used after other positive discipline strategies have been tried.

Canadian guidance also specifically advises against using time-outs with children under age 3. It's worth knowing that the Canadian Paediatric Society notes ongoing debate in the research and media about whether time-outs are the best approach, and that they're frequently used or implemented incorrectly by parents. Some experts suggest capping time-outs at a maximum of about three minutes regardless of age, and ending with a brief reconnection (like a hug) once it's done.

Overall: keep it short, age-based (about 1 minute per year, up to roughly 3-5 minutes), quiet, and consistent, and pair it with lots of positive attention for good behaviour the rest of the time.