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When my son was about five and starting in school I told him, “Don’t work hard, put in the effort”. Hard work is what others want you to do for them. Putting in the effort is when you do it for yourself. He is now 22, just graduated from college with a Masters degree in economics and public administration and already has a high paying job in the Federal government as an analysts.

My sister visited with her two never-disciplined kids. I told them not to run in the house, as there were breakable things around. Several hours later, the oldest was running in the house and, as he rounded the corner, tipped over an end table with a Lalique crystal vase and shattered it to bits. My sister's response: "You were told not to run in the house. Do you want a spanking?"

I asked her: "How many times has he said 'Yes' to that question?"

Her: "Never."

So I turned to him and asked: "Do you want a spanking?"

He answered: "No!"

I said: "Wrong answer!" and swatted his butt hard enough to get his attention.

My sister screamed: "How DARE you discipline my child!"

I said: "My house, my rules. Your kids are spoiled rotten because they are never disciplined. That's not the case in this house."

She packed her things, threw the kids in the car, and didn't speak to me for two years.

Two years later my Dad asked me to come for a visit and he said my sister would also be there and that she wanted to talk with me. I said good.

When I arrived, she was already there and asked if we could go for a walk. I said: "Sure." We no more than got outside and she started screaming at me about disciplining her kids. That went on for a full loop of the block. When we got to the house, since I hadn't been able to get a single word in edgewise, I started towards the front door. She yelled: "I'm not done yet!" So another loop just in case those in the next town didn't hear the first loop.

After the second loop, I went in to sort of explain to Dad what was going on. His words: "I heard."

About 20 seconds later she stomped in, put her hands on her hips and yelled: "Dad, he says my kids aren't disciplined!"

My dad: "They aren't."

My sister promptly threw the kids in the car, drove off, and didn't speak to me for another two years. Dad was in the penalty box for a little shorter time. The really funny part was that she thought I'd cave in to her petulant ravings.