The Bad Guy!

So to all you new dads out there realize that sometimes you have to be the bad guy. When you make a threat out loud to your kids, realize that they notice. You have to stick to your guns, because if you don't your kids will find it as an empty threat which could make delegating authority rather difficult down the road. Now I'm not saying that you need threaten with bodily harm or anything of the sort, but if you say "Do X or I'm going to take away your favorite toy" you need to follow through. That's where it gets difficult because kids can be relentless when it comes to screaming, crying, and worst of all saying negative things that make you want to give in. YOU CAN'T. Realize that even the most outrageous tantrums will usually end within an hour(or two depending on naps and hunger). When the child(ren) calm and reflect on what happened they will remember dad doesn't back down. This may seem hard at first, but as you kids see that what you say is law, they will be more apt to avoid punishment and just do as they are told.