Reading some of the posts, it's like "ARRSE 1812, instead of ARRSE 2012. Whatever happened to the development of a more enlightened attitude?
The main cause of children "misbehaving" is because for the most part they're treated as cretins by their parents, who themselves were treated like cretins in the same way, and not as human beings with less experience of life. That should be the most important task of parents - to teach their children about life. That means talking to them and taking them seriously, and not using them as easy targets to bolster the parents', and other adults', own shaky self-esteem. It means entering into a genuine partnership with the kids and giving them a sense of responsibility from an early age. That way, they very quickly understand that discussion is a real way of defusing any conflicts.
We did it with our kids and they'd actually come up to me and say: "Bugs, I think I've fucked up big-time", and tell me about it. We'd then discuss how to remedy the situation. That was when they were five and six years old, and it continued as they became older.
All talk about "discipline" is bullshit. It just prepares the kids to accept the state using violence to force its views upon them, instead of actually engaging them in debate about the issues involved. Admittedly, the method we used involves a whole lot more effort, but I'm convinced that it produces much more rounded human beings than those subjected to the "smacking method" who for the most part don't really learn to attempt to reconcile their own desires with those of others, but rather to smarten up their act so that they don't get caught a second time. That's not a good way to perpetuate a society.
MsG