I only just discovered this thread and it has been
so useful! Thank you ladies!
Slightly different idea, but I sometimes remember to turn "What punishment can I use show him that this behaviour really is
unacceptable" into "How can I help him to do better?"
And after I've failed yet again and I find myself caught in a useless cycle of self-berating, I remind myself, "If I were a perfect Mummy, I'd have to manufacture bad interactions so he wouldn't grow up with unrealistic expectations of his future relationships"