Stern thing parents do with children (4)
I believe the answer is:
rear
'stern' is the definition.
('rear' can be a synonym of 'stern')
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for rear that I've seen before include "Buck" , "Rare at the back" , "Raise; behind" , "Bring up - back end" , "Rise up at the back" .)