Fatherhood

My daughter is almost three. She will be three in February. She really has not displayed much of the terrible two syndrome until recently. When she does something wrong, and knows it wrong, she will run away from me. When I finally catch up to her, I ask her if she wants to get into trouble and wants a time out. She will either shake her head yes or tell me yes.
I know full well that she understands me. We have had that conversation before. Up until recently it has always been no, she does not want to get into trouble or sit in time out.
What has happened to my little girl? Apparently, she is growing up and learning to test her boundaries. At almost three, I will not give her much boundaries to thwart or wrest control from me. Now is the pinnacle time to set boundaries and have children understand that the parents rule the house and not the other way around.
Much to often I see the opposite. The child controls the parent. That scenario occurs especially in stores. I cannot believe my eyes sometimes when I see the child yelling and screaming and the parent trying to talk to the child. You know what? When that happens to my child, I take her butt out of the store and either go home, or wait in the car with her until my wife is done shopping. I will not put up with that. You, as a parent, do not have to. YOU are in charge.
And you do not have to be mean, or punish your child all the time to get results. Just be firm and CONSISTENT. Consistency is the key.
Another thing that irks me is when I see children wandering aimlessly at the stores or on a street. Where the hell are their parents? I make damn sure I know where my daughter is at all times. When we are at a store, she is not allowed more than a few feet from me. Am I being overly protective? You bet. It takes no time at all for a child to be abducted. Think it cannot happen to you? Get real. Anything can happen.
As she gets older I will let her have her space, but she has to prove to me that she is responsible. It is imperative to keep your children at bay until they master the steps in knowing what to do, should a situation arise.