I gave my oldest a spanking one time when she was 2 or 3. With her, taking away her time spent with me or her mom was the most effective way to punish her. With our other two girls, simply telling/showing them that we were disappointed in their behavior/choices was more than sufficient punishment. They also knew that when we told them if they didn't behave we would leave a place and go home that we would. Irregardless of the inconvenience that it imposed on us. My wife left several grocery carts full of groceries while in line to pay because they started acting up and even after she told them what was about to happen they kept it up. It only took a time or two before they realized that she and I meant what we said and they would not benefit from poor behavior.
I would never presume to tell another parent how to discipline their children, but I will just ask that parents please discipline your children. That can take any number of forms. Kids respond to different things. The biggest thing that we have found as parents is consistency and follow through. Parent the same way each and every day. Don't let them get away with something one day, only to punish them for it the next. Or vice versa. The rules are the rules and they don't change day to day. Also, if you say you are going to do something, do it. Don't promise to take them somewhere and then back out. Also, don't tell them you are going to discipline them and then not do it. If your kids know you are going to be consistent but fair and that you will do what you say you are going to do then most everything else will be ok. Not at 100% recipe by any stretch, but it will remove enough noise from things that the bigger issues will be more easily seen and dealt with before they get out of hand.
- Parenting Advice by Glitch