When is a good time to start ...

i have always told him no when it was needed..i swore time out wouldn't work but from about 14 months it's worked great..he goes in his room for 1 min and almost never does whatever he did again (though I'm sure he will one day!!)

I was worried about being too hard but a friend pointed out I needed to start otherwise he wouldn't understand what was expected eventually.. I've just increased what I expect him to do/not do as he has got older.

I must be a hard mummy. My boy has been expected to do listen to no don't touch and other simple commands from about 9months. I don't really do the traditional time out where there is a time limit to his age or anything. Instead he gets put aside until he is ready to comply.
I must say although a lot of people think that I am to strict with my boy I have one of the most well behaved children I have ever known. At 12months he will go and pick things of the floor and take them to whomever I ask.
I don't think you can start too early. I timed him out if he bit boobie even at 4 months and he hooked on very fast when food was at stake.

Yeah I already tell Kyle no and take him away, from the one electric cord that I haven't been able to baby proof, how do they know to go after the dangerous stuff?

Yeah FionaO, just keep saying no and taking away and if possible remove the object. You could start trying timeout, but just be prepared for him not to sit there at first as they keep moving out and then by the time you get them to stay there you have both forgotten why you were doing time out in the first place but it does get you both use to the the idea of it and soon they will cotton on to having to stay there when you put them there and then it becomes more effective as a punishment. I found it better to work up to the 1 minute, 1 minute is actually quite long when you time it.

I remember as well that in the bath we used to do one warning then out if he stood up in the bath or tried to touch the hot tap.

E has only just learnt no but he has understood things for about 2 months..like really understood not to touch etc..

we use time out in his room because he wont stay in a corner of a room or anything..i really thought it was too harsh and didnt want it in his room but it works well..

we are similar to cuppatea with the bath..he used to have three now it's one warning then out for standing and touching taps and throwing toys..

fiona- E wold just carry on doing things when he was younger too.. its so frustrating eh!:)

We started Chloe with time outs when she was about 11 months old. I was quite pregnant at the time though and wasn't up to putting her back in her time-out spot endlessly, so we borrowed a playpen off someone and put her in that in the hallway for about 30 seconds for a time out. She responded really well to it, she hates her time-outs and after the first day (which it seemed like she was in time out every 5 mins!! was trying to teach her not to hit my face)... she really learnt. After that she has gotten a few time outs a week, at the most. She screams the whole time she is in time out but when I come to get her she gives me her serious "I'm sorry" look and I ask for an apology cuddle, and then we resume playing/whatever with no grudges held. And she will very rarely repeat the behaviour, she has a couple of times and had another time out and that was the last of it.

1 minute is a long time in time out, we went from 30 seconds to 45 seconds when she was about 13 months old, and then to a minute a few months ago.

I think if they are old enough to keep repeating an action for attention, when told no, then they are old enough for discipline.

Chloe only recently learnt how to say no herself, but has understood the concept for ages.