[crusso]

That's a pretty good description of my effective parenting strategy. I've always stated that my goal was to raise kids who could make good decisions as adults. To that end I've tried to err on the side of being more permissive while using potentially corrupting influences as teaching opportunities.

That said, I don't pretend that my approach would have worked in all situations. For example, you gave your son a choice about being aggressive with his XBox with a threat that he would have to stop completely. What if you had to follow through on your threat because your son escalated his aggression?

Sometimes, some kids need an adult to make a decision for them that their brains just aren't mature enough to make.