That old song title typically also applies to most children under the age of five, as they try to figure out what the adults in their world expect of them.  It can be a confusing world for young children – AND for their parents and the adults who work with them.  We WANT to teach them behavior that our society think is acceptable – but what is the most effective way to do it?

The debate about “spare the rod, spoil the child” is pretty much in the rearview mirror.  Numerous studies have demonstrated that spanking is one of the least effective ways to teach children the social rules...