S.D.
I've been reading The Happiest Toddler on the Block and it's helped me realize a lot, mainly how to speak to the toddler in "toddlerease" so they can understand you. I just read the sections that apply to the age group we're going through at the time.
I also just read an article that making a child sit in an actual place or time out for the time out is not that necessary until they are much older. That was good news because my 2-year-old would immediately get out of the time-out chair and I would have more of a struggle keeping him in the chair than whatever it was that was the initial problem that got him in the chair in the 1st place. Tension would build and build until no one was happy. The article suggested that as long as they have stopped the behavior, let them sit on the floor-next to the time out-chair, or wherever they end up. Some kids are more stubborn and spirited than others. When they are older (like 3) and can understand the concept better......then you can start using the chair and a minute for each age, etc. I do not expect my 2-year-old to sit in time out for a full 2 minutes. He sits until he calms down and he knows this so he calms down much faster now and even offers apologies sooner vs. later.