What age is too old for the naughty step approach?

[wonderingwondering]

And what is the alternative sanction/punishment? I'm starting to feel slightly ridiculous making my nearly five yr old stand on a fixed spot for 4 minutes. He's rarely so naughty that I have to use the time out thing, but what do you move on to, and at what age?

I still ask my 9 year old to go to a quiet place-away from me-to think about what she did to cause upset.When I go and find her, 6-8 mins later, she is usually calm, apologetic and we try to find a way to stop it happening again.I think it depends on personality a bit though, since my 11 year old son tended to get distracted by the smallest thought. When I returned he had forgotten why he was alone in the first place,so naughty step approach failed from about 5.I found it more helpful with him to withdraw treats- 'right, we won't make cookies later', 'okay, no bike ride until you change your behaviour/apologise etc'