So as some of you that have read my other posts may already know, I have a wonderful bf who has a wonderful son that I love very much. Now I am new to this whole "mothering" thing, and i really, really hate yelling and being mean. When I was a child I was very sensitive and I would bawl my face off when my mom yelled at me (not so much when my dad did, but then he yelled a lot more). So basically I try not to get frustrated or to raise my voice at the little boy. Now my bf says I am "too soft" and "too nice" and I let him get away with too much. He's not making a big deal of it, and I know that he really appreciates that I love his son so much, but at the same time I feel like i"m kind of stuck. I feel stuck for two reasons: #1 - I don't like disciplining a child in front of their parent. I feel awkward and like I am overstepping my bounds and #2 - I don't like aggressive behaviour in any way, even if it is "necessary". Don't get me wrong. My bf is an amazing dad and his son never gets upset when he "gets in trouble" the way I used to...he's a bit ADD and needs things to be drilled a little more forcefully, I think. But what do I do? Should I try to be more of an authority figure, or should I bow out and play the role of "nice guy" because this really isn't my child to raise, at least not at this point? Help please! I don't want to do the wrong thing.