Do you think the government has a right to tell you how to discipline your child?

Question

I was watching a morning show talk to a senator/congressman(one of them) about legislation he's introducing to make it illegal for parents to spank children under 3.

Personally, I don't have a problem with spanking, it works. There is a distinct difference between spanking and being physically abusive. I was spanked w/belt as a child, I don't feel like my parents didn't love me and I think people like to impose their hang ups on others. When it comes to private personal matters I don't think anyone has a right to dictate how a family function, not the government, police or neighbor. that's my opinion what's yours?

Answer 1

I can't believe that any one would think that the government entering our homes like this is in anyway okay. I was aghast when I heard about this on the Today show...

What on earth do these people do all day? Think up ways to put us all in jail? I personally know the difference between spanking and beating...as I was beat with everything from a wooden spoon to a folded belt growing up. It got so bad at one point a neighbor called the police because I had welts up and down my legs when I was a junior in high school.

I have spanked my children...I can count the number of times on one hand and have fingers left over...I only did it when they actually put themselves in DANGER....like when my oldest was 2 and tried to run out onto the street in front of a speeding car. Or when my oldest and youngest thought it was okay to go out an upstairs window to get a ball off the porch roof while I was folding laundry in the basement!! They were 12 and 7 at the time and knew better....thank god they didn't get hurt! But they surely did get a couple of wacks on their behinds with my hand!!

The government keeps coming into our homes...we can't spank our kids, we can't smoke cigarettes, if our kids are sick more than 9 days from school in a year we have to go to court or the school board, (never mind they just might be really sick!) and we worry about communism?! Hmmmm I wonder what else they will do? How can we rasie our children when we can't do the right thing? How can we make choices when our hands are tied? I do not advocate violence...but I don't think the government has the right to tell me what I can and cannot do in my home. And if they do then they should pay for all the child's needs...from medical to clothes, as I am only a care taker and no longer a parent.

Answer 2

There is a difference between spanking a child and beating a child. There are some extreme parents who do mistreat their children and do beat their kids within an inch of their lives and those issues with those type of parents should be addressed. But to make a law against spanking your child is ridiculous. Beating and spanking should not be considered the same thing. If they pass a law like this children will have no fear and will do whatever they want because the consequences are not there.

Answer 3

No I do not agree. At three is the time to start to discipline a child and maybe even earlier. This is when respect for parents is learnt.I do believe that we do some law in there to stop these abusive parents but a little spanking never hurt anyone. And I`m sure that these ones that want to put this into law were spanked as a child. They have NO right to do this.

Answer 4

I think government has the right to enact laws to protect people according to certain limits. But I think government would be mistaken to enact a law making it illegal for a parent to spank his child, because then we would have children who would do whatever they wanted because there would be no consequences. I believe the father should spank, but only if the mother and the father are both agreed that the child deserves a spanking in a particular case; unless there is a case where the mother does not want the child spanked but the crime is so bad the father must override the vote of the mother and spank the child. And that there should be no yelling, but a firm authoritative tone and even steady voice in any scolding. And that the mother should never spank but give the husband that duty, and the husband should investigate the problem to see if the child deserves spanking, or a simple scolding. [but that is how I would do things: every could should decide for themselves how to handle things] Families are the building blocks of society and the head of that is government.

Answer 5

The more we allow government to make rules for us the more dumb we become.I personally don't want the government to tell me how to raise my children as they don't get anything right themselves. I guess they are trying to stop children being beaten for no reason, unfortunately ,the parents that behave that way are not going to change with a new law. Most parents find the right balance of discipline........time-outs,spank on the hand etc,and no two children are the same. Governments should leave decent parents alone and go and sort out problems they were voted into power
for.....immigration,crime,environment,taxation etc. I wouldn't leave my children in the care of a politician as they would make a complete mess of raising them.To be honest , most of them aren't fit to do the job they were elected to do.

Answer 6

It's a definate infrindgement on our freedom! What about all our kids going through the terrible 2s, we cant discipline them til they are 3? I can understand going after the parent that is leaving bruises and marks on their childs behind cuz that (to me) is child abuse~ but not being able to give them a little tap on the butt every now and then to let them know that you are serious and in charge because they are doing bad is going too far!

If they pass this law then we will have more out of control children in our school system! I think that the government should wake up and leave us alone! They are trying to control us in a country that is SUPPOSED to be FREE!!! They need to look into bigger issues like better gun control, stopping gangs, and stopping the smuggling of drugs into this country! They got their prioraties way off whack!!!

Answer 7

I think that its wrong for the government to step in unless there is a child endangerment issue at hand. Spanking and beating are two very different things.

I have a feeling if the goverment contunues to be this controlling and proud it will get out of hand. Watch, in 50 years they will take your babies away at birth and send them to some huge baby farm to make sure they are raised the way they want them to. Or at a certain age they have to join a brain washing group after school, have you ever read "Big Brother"?

Answer 8

I was spanked as a child and see nothing at all wrong with it. These laws are a problem, not a solution.

Answer 9

I agree with you. There is a difference in spanking and abusing.

Answer 10

I think the politicians should keep their noses out of how we discipline our kids; if kids were better disciplined today, some wouldn't be committing murders at the age of 9, or getting pregnant by the age of 12. We need a better handle on our society, and it starts with the handle we have on our kids.