I have a friend who tells me how to raise my son too. He gives me bad advice. Very annoying.

I have spanked my son two times ever. Once he was probably six or seven years old and we were hiking in the woods and he hit the dog with a stick. The other was about the same age when he started hitting me in the abdomen/legs with his fist. I think spanking never works and it can cause problems. I have heard that it is linked to enuresis (bed wetting) but I have not read the sources so not certain.

I have found time out to be useful when my son was young. Pretty much up to the time he was a teenager. One minute for every year of age. My son was ADHD so while he was in the chair he would be upside down and twisting and twirling but he was in the chair. When he became a teenager I started taking away privileges but I don't think that works as well with a child, at least not my ADHD child.

You mentioned your son is acting out but what behaviors exactly is he displaying that needs discipline. It is very difficult at that age to get them to understand. They don't start to distinguish reality from fantasy until they are six or seven years old so you are going to have to be patient. Or lock him in the closet. I am joking but I do know there have been plenty of times that I wanted to.

Good luck.