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It's very easy, as a parent, to spoil your children, and give in to their every whim. Especially because they'll never stop being your baby. But learning when, and how, to say no is very important. It's not always simple, and not always easy to tell your child that their behavior is unacceptable, and has to stop, especially when they're doing things that you might've done yourself, or might still do. But if things have gotten so far out of hand that you feel like you don't have any control left, it's necessary to put your foot down, and do what you need to in order for them to remember that you are their parent. This article assumes that the situation has been going on for quite some time, and that regular methods of discipline are unsuccessful.

First, remember that no matter how harsh you might think you're being, if you keep your child's best interests at heart, you'll be doing the right thing. If your child is excessively unruly, you might need outside help. Don't be afraid to ask friends, your own parents, or even a professional for help dealing with the situation if it's something you can't handle on your own. Anyone who's had children knows that there isn't any book, or article that can give you all the answers. In fact, you'll be lucky even to find any of the answers in print. Because really, there aren't any universal answers, and no matter how old you are, or how you've spent your life, you'll never really be prepared for anything that happens after you've had children. This is normal and it won't stop no matter how old they get, or how many you have. So if you need help, ask for it.
Don't forget that you're the parent. You're there to take care of them, yes, but they have to respect you for that, or the relationship won't work. They might be 7, or 17, even 37, but they're still your child, and they still owe you respect. The fact that you're reading this means they owe you a lot more than you're getting. Sometimes you have to step in and put your foot down. If your child is young, and constantly throwing tantrums, breaking things on purpose and being generally unruly, don't be afraid to be mean, and don't be afraid to spank. I'm not saying you should beat the kid up, but a couple of sharp swats on the ass are a strong deterrent.
An important thing to do, when the situation is this bad, is to find a way to vary your punishment, if you normally never ground your child, or are lenient about letting them go out, ground them for

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