I am a mother of a 17month old ball of energy who recently discovered the science of climbing and household electronics.  My husband and i have been diligently putting him in time out when he decides to press buttons on the TV or climb on things he should not.  I sometimes wonder if he is too young for timeout and if there is another way of teaching him right from wrong, because seeing as how he is only 17 months we have to sit with him in time out to make sure he stays.  any suggestions?

when my son was young, I would slap his hands when he did something he wasn't suppose too.. And then when he turned about 2 1/2 and understood time out we did the time out thing.  Hope this hellps..

well I wish I could help but my son is almost 16months and doesn't climb anything...yet.  How long has he been doing this?  How long do you do timeouts?  I would say right now to just keep doing what you are doing...but if it seems like timeouts aren't working then I would try a little spanking...BUT spanking isn't for everyone...I just know that when my son throws his sippy cup at me a time out does NOT work so we pop his hand or butt and tell him no(but this is after no alone does not work)

I was told you could start timeout as early as one year. One minute for every year they are old.  They are too little to stay on there own and it is hard to hold them there for the minute but it seems to work with my son.  We also got him his own remote that lights up so he thinks he is changing stuff but he is not.  We have smacked his hands too if he does not listen.  It seems after a few time outs he starts to get it.  I have learned to just be consistent and sure of what I am doing.  Good luck mine is 16 mo and also has not started climbing yet but he is a daredevil so I am sure it will start soon

Time outs are fine at 17 months, but holding them there for the duration can be very stressful, I know:). But I have given a small spanking when my kids have put themselves in a situation that could be potentially dangerous. Other than that, it takes time for the discipline to actually work. My best advice is consistency, and it will eventually sink in. Good Luck!

I'm appalled to read the answers mostly involve spankings/swattings.

Please no spanking/swatting/slapping - it's not necessary...says me, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Sorry, but that's how I feel.  I want you to know that this is NOT the only way to go. Here's why I'm so anti-spanking:

I  find it impossible to justify spanking at any time. Here's why:

• It teaches your child that violence is an acceptable way to express anger and deal with conflict. This contradicts the rest of how you are trying to raise your child.
• It is painful. Deliberately instilling pain on your child is cruel (even if you believe it's “for their own good”).
• It's harmful emotionally for you. Have you ever felt wonderful after hitting a child? Spanking often leads to remorse, guilt, and doubts about the quality of your own parenting skills. Avoid the agony-resist the urge to smack. It's a very unpleasant sensation to feel like a bully.
• It's harmful emotionally for the child. Spanking is traumatic, makes a child feel as though there's something wrong with her (instead of something wrong with her behavior), creates resentment, and can lead to body image and self image problems.
• Spanking tells a child she is powerless. A powerless person will act out, leading to more problems.
• Spanking is disrespectful to the child, and it doesn't help teach respectful values or standards.
• It breaks trust and invades a child's sense of security.
• It halts effective communication.
• Where do you go from there? Once you resort to physical discipline, the only steps “up” are more, or stronger physical discipline. Don't start down that path.
• It doesn't work! In the very, very short term, you may stop the misbehavior. The backlash is not worth the very, very short term.

You're right - at 17 months, your little one is a little young for Time-Outs, but it wouldn't hurt to try - we use them for our 2 1/2 yo and they work great.

For now, I'd keep with a firm "no" and remove him from the situation.  Distraction is still key at this point. When our son would go near or climb on something dangerous, we'd remove/distract, then try to explain that whatever he was doing could hurt him.  To this day, our son points to outlets and says "this could hurt you".  It sunk in :)

Good luck.

sorry, when time outs don't work, slapping of the hand is fine with us.. My son, doesn't like it and it works..  he is 3 yrs old now.. No doesn't work with us, but when grandma says know he listens.. but, with me and my husband it does not.. Time out works only some times.. If we are at home yes, but anywhere else no. He has a certain chair at home that he does time out in, and no other chair works.. Slapping of the hand is the only other thing that works.. He is at the age that he knows not to do certain things, and he needs to know if he doesn't be good then this happens.. I am a true believer in spanking.. My daughter we only had to spank her a few times and that was it, she knew what was going on.. But, my son is more strong headed.. so, he is way different.. good luck in your beliefs but, what works for one family might not work for another... /And not every child is the same.. what works for your child might not work for another one..

uh-oh.

Well, I do not believe in spanking as general discipline, but when my children put themselves in a dangerous situation I would rather them suffer my hand on their bottom then to suffer a worse injury. For example, my son ran out into the street when he was two and was nearly hit by a car. He did get a spanking that day....