Corporal Punishment. For or against?

Question

I think that in this day and age, parents are afraid to paddle their kids. And it's ridiculous. We (well, most of us) grew up getting a switch to our backside when we deserved it. It wasn't a beating, it was just enough to sting. Like when a kid touches a hot stove and they get their hands burnt. Well they just learned a lesson through pain. You do this, and this happens.

Some people when they talk about corporal punishment, they use words like hit and beat when that IS abuse but NOT corporal punishment. There is a line and as long as it's not crossed....spankings CAN be positve.

I'm watching super nanny right now and it's just...omg has that child ever had their butt spanked? Slapping the mom? Hitting her with a jumping rope? I seriously think if my child swung a jumprope at me in an attempt to hurt me, I would swing it back at them (not hard, but enough to sting) and ask them how it feels.

To spank or not? That's what I want to know, your opinions.

babysisterchrissy, what? because I would spank my child IF they deserved it...I shouldn't have kids? I hope YOU never have kids.

Maiden Fair, you just furthered my point. You used the word hit. To hit is what you do when you fight. This is not corporal punishment and it is abuse.

Sweet n' Sassy, I agree with everything you said except for using the hand. The hand is used to love and it is confusing to be loved and punished by the same object. I think that you should designate some object, like a paddle (my grandma used a paint stirring stick) and you wouldn't even have to be touched by it, just having it brought in front of you was enough to straighten you up. No one wanted to get spanked. But when the stick was picked up off the fridge, we knew that it was time to calm down or we were going to get one.

Answer 1

Children who hit are almost always children who have been hit. Children model the behavior they are shown.

It is amazing how well kids who are treated with respect behave. They actually show respect to others!

None of my kids were ever struck, not even a slap on the hand. They are well-behaved, well-mannered, and all six of them are a delight. There were some minor behavior problems, which we always used to as opportunities to teach, rather than excuses to punish. Discipline means
to teach" after all.

My oldest is a teacher, next is in Med school/ The 3rd just graduated High school and is working and saving his money for higher education. He is still exploring what he wants to go into.

the next one is starting high school in the fall. She is our artistic child. She wants to be a writer, director a or both.

Our 7 year old twins are typical kids who want to be anything and everything.


BTW, people who believe that striking another human being, especially a child is acceptable behavior, DID NOT 'turn out fine!'

Answer 2

Im sure Ill get a thumbs down but Im for corporal punishment. Come on look at the kids today way worse then when I was growing up and I got my fair share of "spankings" as a child. I have a 12 year old son and a 7 year old boy who are both as hard heeaded as they can be good kids but hard headed, try putting one of them in time out and it is a big joke to them sometimes I have to give them a spanking. These people who scream "abuse" for parents that "spank" their kids need to mind their business and be more concerned with the children that are really being abused, mentaly, sexualy and physicaly, thats the real problem not a child getting a spanking on their rear end!!!!

Answer 3

I know I'm probably going to get crucified for saying this, but I agree with you 100 percent. Hitting or beating a child is NOT the same thing as a spanking. If a child needs it, I agree that spanking can be a very effective tool if a few conditions exist. One, the parent should never use anything but a hand. Two, the parent should never do it in extreme anger. Third, it should not be the only disciplinary tool used. It's not a "selfish" parenting technique or an easy way out. Don't spank for everything, but if their is extreme behavior, don't bother with time-outs.

Let's take a quick look at sociological history. When parents were stilled allowed to be in charge of their children's discipline, American society didn't have the half the problems it does today. Now parents are scared to discipline their children or bruise their little egos and we've raised a generation of selfish egomaniacs who think the world is meant to serve them.

I'm sure there are plenty of children who have turned out well without spanking, but there are just as many who have grown into well-adjusted adults that have been spanked. I know all my siblings and I were spanked and we are all productive members of society.

Answer 4

I agree 100% with you. I was spanked as a child and I turned out fine. The people who are scared to disipline their children are the ones who shouldnt have them. For example the other day I was at dinner in a classy resturaunt. There was a little boy who was running all over the place, crawling around on the floor, and other wise just misbehaving. And his mother was trying to reason with him. I'm all for giving your children a chance to behave, but when the choose not to thats when you need to take action. Also to me a spanking is not the same thing as beating your child, a spanking is not something you do out of anger. A spanking is a cuple swats on the bum that maybe sting a little but never leave a mark. A spanking is not something you use alone it is to be used with other methods of disipline as well. For example after you spank your child you leave for say 5 minutes or until the crying has stopped, then come back in and explain why they were spanked and why what they did was wrong, that you love them and that you always will.

Answer 5

I'm not afraid to paddle my child, I just don't want to. I have found other was to discipline my child. Spanking is a personal choice. However, to many parents that do abuse or beat their children call it spanking.

Answer 6

I agree with you on many levels. I am 27 years old and yes I was spanked as a child. My mother used a belt ,paddle or wooden spoon and when we got it, we got it good!
I know this is a subject of huge controversy but when I look at the youth of today it scares me to think that they are the future leaders of America, as if we're not in enough trouble already!! I understand that some parents take spanking to a whole new level meaning that it borderlines on or becomes a beating (believe me, My mother left some bruises on me) but I feel that there is a right way to spank and if it is done correctly it can be a productive punishment.
My Spouse and I are not parents yet but when we are we will use spankings if we feel they are needed.
You are right...these kids on super nanny need a good old fashion butt whipping but these parents are afraid that spanking thier kids will traumatize them for life. We have out of control, mouthy, uneducated and rude kids today because they have never had a strap taken to thier backside............sometimes it takes one severe spanking and they listen!
I can remember when I was about to get spanked my mom told me to go to my room and lie down on the bed. She would come in after about ten minutes, spank me and then leave again. After I stopped crying she would come in and tell me how much she loved me. Spankings hurt but I can tell you this.........I never feared my Mother, I did however fear the Thick leather belt she used to tan my backside!
So yes I am for spankings.................and I am happy that you are too!
God Bless You!

Answer 7

Well I think Spanking can be useful as long as it is done with the hand or a pddle on the childs underpants....rarely would I say bare a childs bottom. but Spankings are needed for children these days...far too many children now a days are not spanked and getting away with murder.

Answer 8

I am not afraid of using a Paddle but i think i don't need to. I think if you smack your children sometimes, this is no big deal, who does it is not in my eyes an abuser. but you can show your authority also without violence. this is the 21 century, maybe you have been spanked but is that an Argument to use it always. Was it all so good what your parents have done. When i think about my parents i don't think so.

Answer 9

There are other ways to discipline a child without hitting them. I use to ground my kids and then we would sit down and talk about what they had done wrong...why it was wrong and the consequences if it happened again. I know all kids are different but this worked perfectly with my kids.

I have always felt that some kids will learn to think that if a person does something they don't like then the remedy is to hit them. I preferred to teach my kids to talk about the problem and learn to correct their behavior by understanding why it was wrong. They would feel so badly that I was disappointed that they wouldn't do it again. Worked for us!

Answer 10

When a child touches a stove, getting burned is what happens naturally. It is a logical consequence.

Spanking is never a logical consequence to a behavior problem.

I really don't think that anyone who wants to spank is 'afraid to' or that people are not spanking because they are afraid to do so. If there is less corporal punishment in the world today (and I kind of doubt that there is), I think that it's due to the fact that people have more time to actually *teach* their children right from wrong, rather than just 'train' them to avoid pain.

And, if the youth of today are actually worse behaved than the youth of the past (again, I kind of doubt that they are), it most certainly has nothing to do with corporal punishment or the lack thereof. My children have never been spanked and they are very well behaved (well, as well behaved as kids their age could be expected to be). The problems with the 'youth of today' may be discipline related - it could be that they were never taught right from wrong, but spanking is not necessary to teach that lesson.