Tough Love and The Remorseless Toddler

Folks say that when raising a child, don't forget that you're the boss. You're not there to be her friend. Blah blah blah. But what do you do when you tell your 18-month-old, "No, don't eat quarters," "No don't throw cous cous on the floor," "No, don't smack on the cat," and she just flagrantly laughs in your face and continues eating quarters, throwing cous cous, smacking the cat?

I'm not convinced she gets the timeout thing, yet. I put her in the corner last week and she decided that the velcro on her sneakers was endlessly entertaining -- hardly a punishment of biting me for not getting her way.

From what I've read, repetition and consistency are key, as is a Zero Tolerance Bite Policy. Until that lesson "clicks," we'll have to endure life with our adorable, red headed sociopath.