I have a three year old son, and another on the way, and I speak to my children pretty much like I would anyone else. I don't hit other people when they do something I don't agree with, so I don't hit my boys either.

My job is to make sure they grow into intelligent adults who aren't complete assholes. My boys are my best friends, and I want to teach and help them just as much as I would anyone else, kinda more because they're MY offspring 😀