Whats your view on spanking and the laws they are trying to pass against it?

Question

How do you feel about that California legislator trying to get a law against spanking our children? I believe its not the spanking that cause children to grow up and get into trouble, do drugs, break the law, etc. I don't spank my children, yet they are under the age of 2 and when they get older, we'll cross that bridge when we come ot it. I was spanked as a child and I dont go around causing mischief. I believe its the child itself that makes their own decisions. And how can they make it a law against it because no one will get caught unles they wre ratted out? They cant really make it a law when they are behind closed doors unless they were to install video cameras in every home with children. Im not saying I would spank my child, I didnt like it when I was young. I choose other forms of punishment, but if the times comes and nothing else works, I may have to. "Spare the rod, spoil the child"?

And I know its mainly for children younger than 3 but start early as I hear my grandfather state. My son is in the terrible 2 stage and I do my best not to go the other way and spank him, if he gets to bad and really refuse to mind, I may have to. They do too understand what they are doing wrong. I see a good example of him when he goes to do something he knows is wrong, he looks to see if I am watching. If hes getting into the bookshelf and stringing books around like hes not suposed to, he knows this and the minute I walk into the room, he jumps up and starts putting them back or runs out of the room. They do know the difference between right and wrong. Thats how they learn. They got to start somewhere.

Answer 1

this law is a joke. I was spanked and I turned out fine. in fact I am an overachiever in many ways. I will spank when I have kids and they act up to a point. it will not be the first thing I try, but when timeouts fail, the spanking comes in.

Answer 2

I personally think this is taking political correctness too far as well. On the whole, weren't our parent's generation more well-behaved than our own? I know that my parents received spankings, and I also did. I'm none the worse for it.

I disagree that a child under 3 can't understand the reason they're being spanked. I think it depends upon the maturity of the child. My two year old has shown understanding of it. She fully comprehends the corner, too. If you take the time to explain to your child, they can connect the dots. If you just hit for no reason, then they aren't going to connect it; it will just be hitting.

In WA state, unless it's changed in a year and a half, the rule was: legs, butt, or hand, and you can't leave a red mark that lasts for more than 15 minutes. I was actually shocked that it included the legs (I assumed they meant thighs). Unless my kids are moving, they don't get swats on the leg.

I think it's plain bollocks that they're going to make it a law for this age -- a child under two does not fully comprehend what you're saying to them if you simply try to explain what they're doing wrong. A simple swat on the bottom or hand will bring it to their attention that you said they shouldn't do something.

I think that parents should make certain to explain why they shouldn't be doing something, and why they received the swat, in terms that the child will understand. Beating your children and giving a spank are not equivocal. And if you remember to always follow up with an explanation, then they're going to understand more quickly.

Answer 3

Won't it just be illegal to spank children under the age of 3? I would like to know to what extent of spanking they are talking about. I occasionally give my 18 month old a quick swat on the hand when he does something dangerous, like try to open the oven or take out the electrical outlet covers. It's rather effective, and a swat on the hand is better than 3rd degree burns or being electrocuted. Some parents take it too far, and spank too long and too hard on sensitive bottoms.
There is a big difference between a quick effective punishment and a beating. I also don't think spanking is appropriate when continued into the child's teen years. I was spanked as a young child, and don't remember it hurting that much. It was never bare bottomed though.

Answer 4

There is a major major major difference between beating a child and spanking or disaplining a child. I was spanked, I am fine. I learned very quick that using the N word is not good. I learned very very quickly that stealing is wrong. I also learned very very very quickly that I do not sass off to my parents. I was spanked grounded and then talked to by both of my parents as to why they were doing what they were doing. Now with young children, a light smack on the hand when they do something naughty solidifies that what they were doing was wrong. I naughty chair also works too because you are making them stay in one place without toys. The parent needs to do their part though, they need to inforce good actions with good awards and bad actions with disaplines and removal of the childs "benefits". Parents and Kids need to remember that driving is a right a it is a privliage, cell phones aren't rights but privliages and toys are not rights but privilages. Parents need to stand up to their kids and remind them that they are kids not adults and until they turn 18 the Parent calls the shots. This is easier when the parent does disapline and this again is where spanking comes in. Spanking not beating and again there is a major difference.

Answer 5

I feel in this day and age children need to be spanked in order to function in society. My children don't get spanked all the time but if they are causing danger to themselves or others. My daughters are 3 and 1 years old and I only spank the 3 year old and sometimes do time out. You can't wait until children are 5 and 6 to start disciplining.

Answer 6

I live in Oregon and have heard of this law trying to pass. I had a State police detective answer this very question when this subject was being discussed in our house. He said he did spank his children, but with his hand, not a belt, spoon, brush, or any other item. One or two "swats" on the bottom, not head, face, arms, or lower legs. For children with diapers still on, the sound of it is good enough without actually harming the child. If you are hurting your hand, then you are hitting too hard. IF you leave a mark, bruise, red welts, anything else, that IS child abuse. As the Police told me, it is not the act of spanking that is illegal, it is the mark you may have given your child. Any mark you leave on your child because of spanking or hitting is considered child abuse in any state. Hope this answer your question

Answer 7

As a child, I was spanked for doing wrong. In my opinion, spanking is a form of punishment. For example, when a child feels the pain of a hot eye of a stove, they relate heat to pain and draw a long term judgment to be careful around heat. Same with spanking, they get spanked for doing something wrong, they will relate that event to pain and stay away from it. I DO NOT think it is an excuse for parents to hit their children. Spanking is actually hard to do to a small child, believe me I know. But we should understand it is for the better of the child's life.

Answer 8

Got love how the government wants to take away the power from the parent, yet hold the parent responsible when the child does something wrong.
Spanking is not child abuse, and any responsible parent will choose alternatives over spanking so long as the alternatives work. But sometimes a spanking is just what is needed...and if not over used then works very effectively.
I got my share of spankings...and trust me it usually only took the mention of a spanking to correct my behavior...and I grew up to be a responsible adult.

Answer 9

It's a joke. Mom grounds you...tell them she "spanks" me.


There's a difference between a smack on the butt and beating a child black and blue.

Sometimes it's hard to explain to a two year old that if you run in the street you may get hit by a car and be severely hurt or you might even die. They don't understand death. You smack them on the butt, say: "don't you ever do that again, that was VERY BAD." And hope they remember that instead of "Mommy said something about death, cars and street. Hmm?".

And, most kids under the age of three have a diaper on, PADDING! A spanking is FOR SHOCK VALUE, PEOPLE. NOT TO INTENTIONALLY, PHYSICALLY HURT THEM!!

Answer 10

I think it is ridiculous. I used to get spanked when I was a kid just like 3/4 of the nation and most of us turned out ok. i think the lack of spanking is why many children run wild and disobey their parents now instead of how it was back when we were growing up. If I had ever hit my mother the way my son does me my dad would've beat my *** til it was red. I think that instilling small amount of fear into your children when they are young, will give you a better hand at dealing with them as they get older.

Answer 11

I agree with you completely. I don't see the problem with slapping a child's hand when they reach for something (like an outlet cover or a woodstaove or something else dangerous) or giving a child a swat to the bottom when they are out of line. It's parents who decide to slap their children accross the face or slap them so hard that they leave bruises or red marks that last hours.....that is abuse.