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Words alone usually don't work when the kids aren't paying attention (for whatever reason).
Get them to calm down first, then reason with them.
How to actually calm them down depends on a lot of factors.
In public, I would take them back to the car.
At home, I would take them back to a smaller room.
Once they are calm enough to listen, then reason with them.
Admittedly it is more work than a quick back-hand,
but then again I don't expect raising a kid to be some convenient endeavor.
I also think a lot of acting out might be indicative of other problems.
maybe the kid is upset at something actually valid/thinks he's being treated unfairly, etc,
but doesn't know the right way to express it.
Do you try to find out the root of the problem (not much different than troubleshooting),
or do you dismiss it with a slap to the face?
Thoughtfully disciplining the kid not serves the purpose of discipline.
It gives kids the opportunity of how to deal with problems more constructively.
I like to think of it as a learning opportunity.
Maybe the kid actually wants attention,
and will try to get it even if it means getting beat-up every day.
I used to live next to a poor kid who got beat up violently by his dad every day.
That fact it happened every day meant either the punishment wasn't working, and/or there was something wrong with the dad.
With physical punishment (If you must use it),
you also have to consider some degree of restraint.
do you smack them indiscrimanantly for every instance of misbehavior?
at what age do you stop?
at what level of intensity to you beat the kid?
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