We talked about how to know if time out is right for you and your child. If the time out escalates the behavior; creates a power struggle between parent and child; you have an anxious child; or you have difficulty being consistent, time out may not be the right discipline technique for you.
We also discussed the most effective ways to implement time out. A few of the key points were: choose select behaviors for time outs (hitting, biting); wait until your child is between 2 1/2 or 3 to begin using time outs; use a dull safe place (but not the crib!); and practice time out with your child ahead of time so he/she knows what to expect.
Finally we discussed other effective discipline techniques that can be used in conjunction with or in lieu of time out. Some examples are: offering choices; implementing natural and logical consequences; removing toys (a toy time out) to address throwing or misuse of toys. Prevention is also a useful technique - keeping your child well-fed, well-rested and giving them lots of positive attention and praise helps reduce the need for discipline such as time outs.