Haha, when I started reading what your colleague was saying, I was thinking, I bet she doesnt have children! I was right!

I believe children are a blessing, and we have been entrusted with their wellbeing. With this in mind, OF COURSE we have to cater to their needs! This does not mean we should spoil them, but it is our job to make sure they are healthy and learn how to be a good and responsible person.

I agree, scolding and negative reinforcement are really not the way to go in most situations. Yes, sometimes if a child does something like hit another child, they need to be stopped immediately and told that this is wrong and why.
Most of the time, they learn best by modeling their parents behavior and by being praised for doing the right thing.