I often hear these “negotiations” with children in public and they are laughable. Trying to have a reasonable discussion with a 2 year old is only a step up fro

I often hear these “negotiations” with children in public and they are laughable. Trying to have a reasonable discussion with a 2 year old is only a step up from trying to reason with my dog: they just don’t have the tools. Children are constantly pushing and probing boundaries. They are trying to figure out who is in charge. So, when you respond to their aggression in a weak way because you’re worried about them not liking you, you lose. You aren’t teaching them to “be civilized”. Little by little their respect for you will diminish and you risk them becoming more unruly.