I guess I'm old school liberal on childcare. I don't believe in punishment, time outs or slaps on the behind.

I see a million little future neuroses with each of those actions. The punished child grows up to see punishment as a viable form of communication. The timed out kid grows up and fails to be able to communicate with others in his family or workplace. They become the cool, silent martyrs depriving others of their communication.

The slapped around kid becomes violent, a bully, a show off, grows up sometimes to be a sexual masochist, sometimes a wifebeater, etcetera. To them violence can be used in place of words and, in fact, because they have little experience with verbal punishment they will resort to violence as their primary outlet when unhappy.

Communication is the key. Immediate, clear and explanatory. If a child interrrupts an important conversation, one need not show anger or displeasure, but explain why now is not an appropriate time and that you will attend to them later. If a child is too young to focus, they can be helped out of the room/area with a positive attitude.

Positive reinforcement plays infinitely rewarding dividends. The child realizes first and foremost that they are important and are loved even when the parent is not happy with their actions. If a child is endangering itself or harming others a firm and clear verbal order along with an explanation should do the job. If it doesn't, physical intervention as is necessary to remove the child from the danger or the conflict is perfectly acceptable.

Yes some children are spoiled. But these, I find most often, have parents who are not over-attentive to their kids needs, quite the contrary, they are completely indifferent and inattentive and just let the child do what they want. The child has no boundaries and also becomes disruptive so they can get what they so desperately crave - attention. What they don't/can't get at home.

Some busy parents buy their children off with toys, activities etcetera as compensation for being a latchkey kid or a daycare stormtrooper. These kids are used to rewards in lieu of attention and can will exploit others for material compensation and barter with adults to achieve their goals. These kids are most at risk for growing up spoiled and are in greatest need of an emotional caregiver who sees through their self-sufficiency and bartering withe their behavior for material returns, and gives them the needed attention, love and nurturing that toys, trips and money can't buy.

No, time-out is convenient for the adult, but for the child it can lead to a life of dysfunctional relationships, control-freakism, etcetera.

Rejoin your true liberal heritage, light up the candles, fire up the incense, string the beads and sing the childcare theme song along with me MA!

Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more spankings or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Positive insights & revelation
And each child's true liberation
TakeCareofUs
TakeCareofUs

Treat each child as you would an adult and they will become adults. Treat them as inferior 'children', talk down to them, spank them or punish them and part of them will remain a child forever.