My earliest memory of my father was being publicly humiliated by being dragged through the shopping strip [where we lived] by my ear ....at the ripe old age of 5.
Interestingly he was domineering, opinionated, chauvinist, racist and bigotted, though I don't believe he has hit any of his kids in the last 40 years or so....by that time psychological abuse was more effective.
Strangely, when he snuffed it last month he left a hole.
Ah, the stuff from which site Admins are made....
I've always found the most-heeded mistakes you will ever learn from are those you make yourself, so, as Zubaz said give them a little freedom to hang themselves.
Cotton-wool cossetting won't prepare them for adulthood. Eventually they'll have to look after themselves and be answerable.