Unpopular take: pain/discomfort is the only way nature can teach us what NOT to do until our brains can comprehend logic and consequence. Without the ability for a parent to cause pain or discomfort, the child (who has underdeveloped logic and concept of consequence) will percieve the parent as “that thing that makes angry noises but can’t hurt me” and won’t listen to them.

It’s all fine and dandy to be “friends” with your kid, but you also need to be the judge, jury, and executioner too