To Spank or not to Spank that is the question.?

Question

personally....I never do. To quote someone else I agree completely with on these Q and A's:

Agree. Don't get me wrong, children need discipline. But striking them is completely unnecessary. There are alternate methods, and the example you set is more important than any corrective action you take. What I mean is, you may have a child that needs to be smacked, but the reason they'll only respond to that is your behavior, as a parent. Moreover, striking a child as a form of discipline encourages the notion that physical violence is acceptable, as a solution to conflict.

well...when i was a kid...I think I was beaten with every leathery hand on my behind. Screw that...I knew when I was scorned. My son will never have a hand layed down upon him, he never has and never will...he has turned out to be an amazing kid. I can't even explain how good he is because you wouldn't even know.

Answer 1

I'm tired of this question! But to answer, to each their own! I have spanked my child for her own safety to keep her out of danger. It wasn't hard and it wasn't to physically hurt her. It was to let her know this was serious. I don't spank her regularly. A little tip from my mom, I have held my daughter's hand and slapped my own wrist in the motion to let her know she was misbehaving. She didn't know or care that I hadn't spanked her but was aware that she was being reprimanded for her behavior. It works.

Answer 2

My honest opinion? Parents are spending far too much time arguing over the best way to discipline their kids, and not enough time doing the disciplining.

As long as a child is neither a spoilt brat, nor cowed in fear of their parents, who is anybody to say what someone else chooses to do is wrong?
Most (sane) people would agree that belting a child, bruising them, or hitting them with objects is wrong and abusive, but a tap or swat on the hand or backside is not abuse. It is a tool for discipline, just like time-outs, loss of priveliges or groundings. If you don't want to use it, fine, but accept that it may well work for other people.
Most children as far back as history goes have been smacked at some point. What's the big deal all of a sudden? If it aint broke, why try to fix it?

Answer 3

Although, I, too, was brought up "old school" & survived (LOL), if you look at the logic behind the motion, it didn't make sense then, nor does it now...even as a child, I saw my parents as being in a frustrated state during such times rather than "out for my own good"...and it's difficult to explain why this is okay to do as adults to children, yet not okay for them to do to others when they are in school/play situations, nor okay for adults to do to adults...but it's what this kind of "lesson" teaches about how to deal with that frustration--strike whatever is creating that feeling. Look what some people do to their animals under similar circumstances.

It may take a bit more effort & creativity on a parental part to set aside human personal emotion to effectively & logically handle day to day frustrations (& kids can sure push those buttons, huh??? LOL)...the easiest vent is pound on something, or scream loudly & viciously...but I found the challenge worth it...In process, I taught myself to maintain control of Self, and so far (my boys are 20 & 24, my daughter is 10), I believe I provided more positive reflection of the wisdom in such.

Ever really look at a parent's face just before they strike??? Ever see the look in that child's eyes as well??? They are not pretty sights at all...there is no love behind those looks--ever!!!
And there is little sense in saying later that you hurt them to teach them a lesson in acceptable behavior, when obviously, that choice of action reflects quite the opposite.

Common sense is the greatest ringer of children's soul sounds, and it's a good base for wiser guidance methods.

MPO, of course!!!

Answer 4

In theory I disagree with it. There are alternative methods of discipline, probably more effective and set a better example.

The only way I would condone it is if the child was completely unruly and were about to put themselves in serious danger i.e. trying to run out onto a busy road ... etc.
Only then if it was sincerely for the child's own good, not a result of the parents exasperation.

Answer 5

I think it is something that is either over-used or under-used. I spent yesterday with a family who would never ever strike a child. But they never disciplined her either, and she was allowed to be demanding, domineering, kicking over the furniture, being rude, not only to her mother and grandparents, but to us, the guests. Her mother leads by example. She hopes that if her daughter sees she is polite and well behaved, she won't behave inappropriately.
Ha! I actually loathe going to their house.
My own daughter was there, too. And of course, everyone complimented my husband and I on her behaviour, manners and consideration.
It's not the smacking (although my kids know I will use it if I need to) but the fact that I teach my children what is acceptable behaviour and what isn't.
My friend wants her children to have "minds of their own". I want my children to be a credit to me and to society. I suppose we have both got what we want.
Two highly intelligent, pretty little girls but one is a spoilt brat. And I don't think that was part of the plan.

Answer 6

Here we go again...
Spanking is appropriate, it works for many. If you don't want to do it, so be it. However, for those of us who do spank, it's perfectly fine. I was spanked as a child, my siblings were spanked. No harm done. My children do get spanked, very rarely, only when they have done something very wrong.

People ask these spanking questions just to cause a controversy around here.

It's pathetic that so many so called adults compare spanking to abuse. They are so very mistaken. Never once was I abused as a child, and never once have I abused my own child.

Answer 7

You know many people before us like our grandarnets and our moms and dads use to be spanked or had much worse done to them as kids and they grew up fine..hell i was beat with a tree branch i HAD to pick out i am came out normal and never hated them for hitting me like that so i dont understand now why it is any different. They still use spanking in many schools!!! i do not believe u shoould abuse ur child in any way but i do not think spanking is wrong but only on the bottom and never to go over borad with it.

Answer 8

Grow up and raise your own children and not other peoples!!

If someone wants to tap their kids backside or hands good for them. If a parent doesn't want to smack them, good for them.
There is a big difference between smacking and belting a child, only one is abuse.

Answer 9

I say put the brats over your knee
spankings work!

Answer 10

You say 'that is the question' but you never actually ask a question...you just state your opinion.