Kid tips: Children's discipline begins with parents  You see it
at home, the grocery store, the mall and school: Children
defiantly disobeying their parents - running around a store,
refusing to do their chores, etc. It's usually not the fault of
the child. The root of the problem often lies in the parent, who
does not have the know-how or backbone to make the child toe the
line. Some parents want to be best friends with their kids;
instead, they should focus on their parenting skills. Parents
who do not follow through on their requests and threats will
reinforce the negative behavior of their children. The longer a
child rules the family roost, the more difficult it is to undo.
If children don't mind their parents, they probably won't mind
their teachers, either. The reason I feel so strongly about this
topic is that kids who have no boundaries at home usually end up
in trouble. No one wants to hang out with a troublemaker -
except other troublemakers.   Tom McMahon, KidTips  For those
parents who struggle