When a child is egregiously rude, what to do? Demand an apology? Punish? Maybe as a child that works but as they get older it can often drive away. Some older children may respond well but what if you know from past experience you are dealing with a child who will not back down and only escalate? The best parenting technique in the case may in fact be to be “soft”. Don’t immediately force apologies, etc. for bad behavior. Let your stance be known, then wait. This is how God treats us. We known God’s standard but he is very long suffering.