naughty little ones.

You're quite right in wanting to discipline him, but physical punishment is not the answer.

The best punishment is withdrawal of priviledges, or a treat.

I'm sure there's plenty of things five year olds want to do, maybe there is a film he wants to see or a place he wants to go.

Make sure all of that is dependent on his behaviour as is access to the computer, television, his toys.

All of that is far more effective than hitting him which just causes resentment.

I agree. Plus 'time-outs' are quite useful, too. And not reacting or accusing. There are many articles online on ways of dealing with bad behaviour and why they it happens - these would benefit you as you'd gain an understanding into the 'whys' of it.

I agree with the first two replies. Also, make him know you are interested in him in a loving way. A child feeling neglected can do those things.

I agree with all three of you! We have never hit one of our kids, never put our hands on them. They get punished by having privileges taken away. No TV, no games, no phones! The last time little Alex Martin talked back to me he stayed in his room for four days, only allowed out for meals. That was two years ago!

The Montessori websites have great advice and explanations for parents. When my eldest granddaughter was 3 - 5 yrs of age she was into a control fight with her mom almost every single day. I sent my daughter a link which explained what was going on and there were 17 ways to deal with it It's funny now, but at the time it was a struggle. The most important thing is understanding why continual bad behaviour is happening.

Here's a link to one article:

https://montessoriparenting.org/the-child-who-is-not-peaceful/

I've never understood the reasoning of an adult to "discipline" a child by using physical force ( hitting, slapping, spanking, being pushed down, being picked up by force, etc) to correct a behavior. It's wrong. To me, these behaviors of an adult re-inforce poor behavior in children. As an adult, nobody has the right to use physical force against you but it seems you think it is socially acceptable to do to a child.

And it's not.

Does your boss hit you if you make a mistake at work? Does your spouse hit you if the dishes weren't washed? Does a convenience store worker hit you if you spill something on the floor? Does a friend hit you if you say something they don't like? Does a server hit you if you refuse to tip? If the answer is no, then no, it is not acceptable to physically use force on a child.

One of the many reasons spanking doesn't work is that too much time and effort is spent on the negative behavior you see and not enough time and energy is spend on focusing on the child's good behavior. You've waited until your child acted inappropriately to others when you've ignored that behavior when it's been directed at you.

It's time to change that.

Children at five are now just learning how to communicate effectively, expand their vocabulary and use longer, more complex sentence structure. They will not understand the word "rudeness" but they certainly can understand the concept what they said can hurt someone's feelings. The start of empathy is now and guidance is needed.

Many resources are out there:

https://childmind.org/article/my-5-year-old-doesnt-listen-to-me-and-is-disrespectful-time-outs-dont-work-what-should-i-do/

https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/behavior-problems-in-5-year-old-causes-and-discipline-strategies/

https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/development/development-tracker/5-6-years

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Disciplining-Your-Child.aspx

There's a myriad of parenting classes or counseling sessions available to you through your local 211 network. Your child also could benefit from seeing a behaviorist to identify and offer solutions to everyday issues.

Please help your child grow into the wonderful person they will become.