Time outs are magical. I really and truly mean that. Setting them in a special place for a short amount of time (usually the number of minutes that they are old- example, a 7 year old sits in the spot for 7 minutes) and explaining to them what they have done and why it was wrong is a technique that truly, and genuinely works. Why? They are forced to do nothing but sit and think. And just like that works for you when you have a problem, it works for children. With the littlest ones, just the idea that they have to sit still for 2 or 3 minutes is punishment enough, and although they may not be old enough to understand that they should be thinking about what they’ve done wrong or any concept of that sort, by two a child is old enough to understand action and consequence. Better known as, I did something I knew was wrong and I am getting a punishment for it. (Note: It is very important that this 'time out area' is a place outside their normal living area- not bed or the couch- those are places they should find safe- but a different and special chair, or bench. That way, they don't associate those negitive emotions with a space that they use everyday.) Stick to this timeout- they need to stay seated in this location for the allotted time- ALL the way through, no excuses. It may take awhile for this consequence to sink in once bad habits have already started forming, but after awhile, all you'll have to say is, "should mommy/daddy put you in time out?" and the bad behavior will stop right where it started.
On the other hand, there are days when you’re not feeling so hot. Something is happening at work, or you're upset with your spouse- or even money troubles. Life these days is far from easy, and often kids, (whether they realize it or not- and usually it's the latter) can make it that much harder. They do little things that pluck on your last nerve string and you would like nothing more than to shake the bejesus out of them. Bad idea. Very bad idea. A better idea is to give YOURSELF a time out. This may seem impossible- but I will tell you right now, to be a good parent, every so often you need to take care of yourself and your own emotions for a minute. (Or 40). If you have no significant other to take the kids for an hour, hire a babysitter and go to your room and relax. It doesn’t mean you have to leave the house or go spend a million dollars on a spa day, but it does mean you need to give yourself a minute to breathe. I also recommend that you close your door and even maybe wear earplugs- get totally away mentally. Then re-enter the real world. Otherwise, you will end up taking your stress out on your children- and trust me, they know. And they aren’t happy about it.
