If Your Kid is in My House, I'll Discipline Him My Way

You've all been there. You've got a playdate over for your kids and they start misbehaving. Or maybe it's just the other kid. Sure, it's easy to snap back at your own flesh and blood, telling him for the umpteenth time not to play dodge ball in the house. But what about the other kid?

Disciplining is just another one of a parent's tough jobs. It's part of the whole teaching process. But if it's another family's child, is it your responsibility to teach them? To scold or punish them for doing something wrong?

If a kid's over at my house doing something against our rules, you better believe I'm going to yell at him. To be fair, I'd treat him just like my own kids. If it's something minor, I'd just talk to them and tell them to cut it out. But if it's something dangerous or he's about to break something valuable, the kid gloves are off.

What I really don't get is when the parents are over too, the kid misbehaves, and nothing happens. Not a peep. I've seen so many kids act like, well, spoiled little brats, trashing a place right under their parent's nose. The parents ignore their kids and just keep talking to the other adult. And I've gotta admit, dads are just as guilty as moms in this one.

When that happens in my own house, my wife's way too nervous to say anything. It could really ruin her friendship with the other mother, she'll say. Personally, I couldn't care less. If a kid's that obnoxious and disrespectful, I don't want him in my house. And if his own parents aren't going to do more than mutter a single, "Now cut that out," I have no problem dropping the hammer. Whether their parent's around or not, if a kid's doing something wrong, they're going to hear it from me.

If we're at your house, though, by all means let your kid walk on furniture, play Frisbee with the fine china, and draw on the walls with permanent markers. Your house, your rules.

So if you're too afraid to discipline your own child, then keep him way clear of my house. Otherwise, if he's not careful, he may actually learn something.