Last month the San Francisco Chronicle reported that six-year-old Zachary Christie had been suspended for 45 days for bringing a camping utensil that contained a knife to school. Because he was excited about Boy Scouts.It seems the school board did come to its senses and reduce his sentence, but the knee-jerk application of a zero-tolerance policy enacted to protect students in the wake of school violence for basically packing a spork is troubling. Where do you draw the line?

We've seen the harried mother in Wal-Mart, shrieking at her wayward toddler as she streaks through the aisles clutching candy. You've probably also been the exhausted mommy who, at the end of a long day, MUST YELL TO GET THE SELECTIVELY HEARING-IMPAIRED CHILD TO TAKE A BATH.I myself went along a parenting trajectory. It went like this:New mommy: Cooing and singing, even when my daughter popped me in the nose accidentally while reaching for a toy, hurting me so bad my eyes watered Toddler mommy: Redirection! These tantrums are developmentally appropriate! Ha!Preschooler mommy: I don't understand you when you use that whining voice.Kindergartner mommy: Yell 

My five-year-old has been lucky so far. She's never been bullied.That I know about.