One thing I said to someone recently was that you have to remember they are a child, they have a different structure in their little brains to ours. We are so use to adult stimulation and sometimes we do tend to treat our children in the same light...a step back and a lighter approach sometimes is needed.

eg...would YOU like to go to time out? honestly it would make me more agro and defy what the person has said to me.

What works for me

Behaving in the same way back to my children to show them how funny and silly they are being.
Mini me cries and goes off about the silliest stuff....so when she does it...I copy her. They DETEST being copied....and will say stop copying me. Their focus is then off the original thing they started being silly over.

I also sense when my children are all edgy and aggressive if you like in their communication to me. I tend to think they need to burn off that anger and pop the music on LOUD and dance around like a twit....amazing how much fun you can have in half and hour and how settled and pooped everyone is afterwoods.

I personally dont think there is a reason to be cruel by taking things away or placing childrenn in a corner. They learn off us so what kind of example are we giving them by doing this? Life is fun...show them how fun it is..its shouldnt be about continuously growling at them.