My son is 2 1/2 years old and he is to the point where he tests his boundaries with me and my husband.  He is in this banging stage where he bangs his cars, blocks, etc on the wall or furniture.  We tell him to please stop it can hurt the furniture and he will have to hit one more time.  Anytime we ask him not to do something, he looks at you and he feels he has to do it "one more time."  He is also in this saying no stage. He really seems to do it more when he is away from home or when he is "showing off" in front of other people.  How do I break him out of this "no" stage and to follow my directions the first time?  I do praise him when he does follow my directions.  I am a preschool teacher and I don't except saying no from my student let alone my own son.  Any suggestions????

Time-out has been a huge help in my house. My son just turned two. We usually use three strikes and you're in time-out. We've been having trouble with him throwing things inside and also getting angry when he doesn't get his way. When we are home, every time he acts out or throws something, I give him warnings that if he keeps it up he is going in time out. Time-out in our house is a really boring corner in the dining room (which actually has a stoop where he can sit) and I recommend using a highchair/other restraining item if your child doesn't do well sitting for a minute or two. Sometimes I give him a timer if we're home and I tell him when the timer goes off, he can get up (usually 1 or 2 min. depending on the crime). When we're out, I pull him away from whatever situation we're in (whether we're at someone's house or not) and explain to him what behavior is not acceptable. I have also put him in time-out when we're out. I just find a quiet corner or put him in his stroller, etc. He gets it! He has been acting out less and less. Now I usually only have to warn him he's going to be in time-out and he behaves. The key is to stay consistent. Do it when you're out...when you're home and don't ever let anyone talk you out of it. My husband assists in time-out when he is home and he backs me up 100%. It can really hurt your chances if your husband or friends are against you. Good luck! I hope this helps! When we started out...my son was in time-out a lot but now that he gets it, he is barely ever acting out. It has really saved us from mortification at the mall/playgroups/etc.