Recently a family friend of mine visited us. Me and my teenage daughter had a long healthy discussion about planning our younger daughter's birthday party. My both daughters were there with  their inputs and ideas. I listened to them, showed my disagreement to some of them with my reasons and at last the plan came out which was agreed upon by all three of us. My friend sat throughout with us. When my daughters left, she told -"How can you be so patient and give them so importance?? With my son, we have been very clear that he has to follow what we say." She has a son of the same age of my daughter who is very obedient and goes with whatever the parents say. 

Well, I need no body to validate my parenting style. My husband and I chose for a style where children have to be happy and obedience and discipline has to come out of imitation of their parents and from their own inner motivation, and not from moral preaching or "Because I said so.."

I want your views -"Is an obedient child always a happy child?""