A mom at church recently asked me for parental advice. Specifically, she wanted to know how to make her young son stop a pattern of inappropriate behavior.

I sipped my coffee as she described his actions, concentrating on how I might help her. Actually, I strained to understand the complexity of her situation—but none existed. So I asked a simple, but jarring, question: "Have you firmly told him 'no' when he does that, and then showed him you mean business?"

I nearly choked on my coffee at her response: "I don't know; he's pretty sensitive."

Before you write me off as insensitive, please know that I have children, too. One can handle a stern comment, the other crumbles when I raise my eyebrows. So yes, I understand that different kids require different approaches. Every child, though, deserves mom or dad's best corrective efforts. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.

Consider how many decisions are made, or not made, because a parent fears a child's reaction. Think of all the candy ...