Time outs...when have they ever worked? For me never! I mean the first 20 seconds of the sad face and tears you notice "hey they may actually care". But after that initial 20 seconds, they are done. And don't let you have a kid older than two in time out. Then time out just becomes annoying. They start asking you when they can get up over and over again. For all that I might as well let you continue to do whatever you were doing before hand if you are going to drive me nuts.
The general rule for time out is to have your child sit in an area where they can not see you and be alone, for a minute to every year of age. After this you are to then return to the child and explain what they did wrong and why they should never do it again. Now I totally get it. It makes logical sense to me, an adult. But picture your child in time out (I'm picturing mine now :-/). You put him there. In this room all alone. If your kid is anything like mine he isn't sitting still reflecting on what he's done. He's exploring the room and all the chances he has to get in another time out in the very near future. Then after two minutes (my son can't focus on one thing for two seconds so this two minute thing is beyond far fetched) you return to explain to him what happened and what not to do next time. And my son would just look at me and say "ok mommy, I love you the mostest". And run away and be about his business, probably doing that same thing within the next 10/15 minutes.
Now I will admit, I do give Camden pops or spankings. Whatever you want to call it. And that seems to work better for him. I don't pop him often. Like hardly ever really. But because he has had a few good ones he knows that if I threaten him with one, he should stop doing whatever he is up to.
The other day we had just gotten back from a birthday party and Camden was wired on candy. I mean just all over the place. Loud, running around, and so extra. And like any tired momma, I wanted him to stop. Of course he didn't. He continues to act a fool. So I told him if he did it again he was going to get in time out. Well of course, not to my surprise, he tried it. And down to his bed I made him go. He gets down the steps and in the bed. And I'm still upstairs sitting on the couch. But in about the time I thought it would take for him to get in bed I hear a scream. And no not a "help, I've fallen and I can't get up scream". More like a "I hate you and I'm going to scream until my voice is gone" scream.
And I had had it. I ran down them stairs and popped him a few good times. And he knew it was coming. He could see it in my eyes when I walked in there. And I could see in his that he felt like he should have never screamed. So I popped him and said "now you lay here until you get yourself together and when I come back you can get out of time out". He was shook! The look on his face was priceless. I had mad my point clear. I let him lay there for like ten minutes. When I came back I discussed what he did wrong. Told him that he didn't need to be screaming and running around and that if he did it again the same thing would happen. Of course he got out the bed and came back upstairs and picked up where he left off. Turned around and looked at me and decided he better walk and not run.