As a father of three, I know how challenging it can be to discipline a child. Skirmishes with a youngster who talks back or throws a tantrum in the middle of a crowded supermarket can leave otherwise confident parents feeling frustrated and desperate, grasping for the right words or tactics to get their child in line.

The good news: There are strategies you can use to take control and keep your cool during bouts of bad behavior  -- even when you're faced with these five tough discipline problems.

Lawrence Balter, Ph.D., is a professor of applied psychology at New York University and the author of several books on parenting.