Parents do, of course, necessarily ‘discipline’ their children. Parents however, often may not see that low levels of discipline have already  occurred and may well be sufficient to correct. I recommend:

1) Search for and find the lowest level of discipline that will accomplish the job, and
2) Look to the child to ’see’ if internal processes amounting to ’self’ discipline are apparent and if so, do nothing.

Levels of severity of discipline:

Level 1. Do not underestimate the power of eye contact alone. Your child cares what you think and will put 2 and 2 together for themselves.
Level 2. A frown, a ‘tsk’ or a raised eyebrow counts.
Level 3. A single ‘hey’ with a barely raised voice is often sufficient.
Level 4. A loud ‘that’s it’ or ‘knock it off’!’ is often sufficient.

Note: parents are hard wired to do all of the above. It comes naturally. Parents don’t have to read parenting books to be inclined to use these techniques. We and our children are wonderfully well equipped for this ‘developmental dance’ (we grow into being a good parent while they grow into being a good kid.)

Level 5. A ’sit down right now!’ or ’stop right now!’ accompanied by your movement to stand and approach amounts to playing a higher card. You are now in their space profoundly influencing events. That alone may be enough, you can then play a # 3 or #4 card and be done with it.

Level 6. You may need to take more control and order them to the nearest chair. Then just let them sit a couple of minutes. Say no more. Don’t call it a ‘time out’. It doesn’t matter what you call it. To name it a ‘time out’ at all shifts the focus. Hold the focus in real time. It is concrete; they sit because you tell them to sit. They rise when you tell them they may rise; leave it at that. Explanations regarding the  use of ‘time outs’ dilute the power of your authority. Explanations force a kind of intellectualizing of the experience for the child. Absent the explanations, they fully experience themselves as subject to your temporary control. The fullness of that experience exploits every biological feedback system in their body. This comprehensive imbedding of the experience in the whole body more profoundly impacts the evolving ‘experiential data base’.

Level 7. You may say ‘go to your room, now! Note this entails their willful self propulsion to another location. As they move towards their room, they may grumble. For children up to 10, I generally recommend letting the grumbling go (note, there are circumstances where you would shift your attention to the new ‘bad’ behavior, speech acts).  Although grumbling,  your moving child is fully subject to your control. The grumbling amounts to letting the proverbial steam (emotionality) out of the tea pot. This will facilitate a quicker recovery from emotional imbalance. There is no need to keep them in their room for more than five minutes. You’ve established control and obliterated the dynamic that was in play before you made your move. ‘Not bad for a days work’.

Level 8. You may say, it’s your ‘quiet time’ NOW. I want you in your room for 1/2 (or 1) hour. Don’t bother to tell them to think about their actions. Let them ‘putz’ around, play with toys, etc. Note: I am assuming young children do not have computers and TV’s in their room.

Level 9. Try to issue all discipline immediately upon observation of the bad act. If you are in another context, you have at hand, other cards to play; if you are driving, pull over, look at the child briefly. He or she will notice you have stopped. Drive again only when you have observed they have ‘collected’ themselves. If you are at a park or in a store, do likewise; stop in your tracks, stop them in their tracks. If they seem unable or unwilling to collect themselves, go home immediately. Note: Try to do this neutrally, as if it is suddenly inconvenient to continue your activity. This reduces emotionality (for both of you) and the event is recorded (by the pattern recognition system) as less of a big deal (an odd event) and more as just how things work. 

Level 10. It may behoove you to modify something in the environment. Perhaps certain objects are too often, the bone of contention; perhaps your child really can’t handle something ‘responsibly’ or safely. If that is the case quietly remove it from the environment or more thoroughly control your child’s access to it. Don’t do this as punishment, but rather as you, the parent have realized your child would benfit from some different management of  their access.