A good parent has to know...
...when to step back and let the kids work things out for themselves. Shooting your parental mouth off every time you hear a peep from your kids is just stupid. Doing so can have the exact opposite effect from the one desired. Keeping a wise silence can often achieve exactly what you want.
I don't agree that McCallum was stupid. People get tired of Americans telling them what to do. It should be kept to a minimum, and it should be done in quiet channels whenever possible.