Is spanking your own child wrong?

Question

I believe that there are other methods of disciplining your child.
But you know how children play up and do the same things over and over again. Maybe spanking them occasionaly when they've done something spantaneous (naughty).
What are your views in that?

By spanking i mean, a slap on the bum, leg, arm or even their hand.

Well said everyone!! Well to most of you.lol
Its gonna be hard picking a best answer!

Answer 1

I think that time outs work really well most of the time. I was one of those 'spirited' children. My father spanked me a lot - at least once a day (I would have a temper tantrum about 3 times a day when I was between 2 and 5 years old). I would just get more angry with my father and didn't really respect him, even at that age. My mom on the other hand, used time outs (in my room) most of the time (good thing she was the primary caregiver). She would only spank me VERY OCCASIONALLY when I did something very dangerous (like reach for something dangerous when told not to, throw something at someone.. etc). I would feel HORRIBLE when I was spanked by my mother because it was then that I felt that I had really disappointed her. I think spanking, when used sparingly is okay. Time outs and taking away special things is a much better way of disciplining children on a regular basis as long as it is consistently applied - in my opinion anyway.

Cheers

Edit: When I refer to spanking, I am not talking about beating - that is just wrong!!! I was slapped on my behind but not hard, more for the sound rather than pain. I think repeated spankings over years does cause tension between a parent and child - as one of the other respondents said! Growing up, my father and I never saw eye to eye and fought all the time! My mom and I never had issues.

Answer 2

I don't think spanking is wrong..however as everyone says there is a big difference between spanking and beating.
i think in a situation where the chld is being stroppy and gobby then methods like the naughty step should be used..
however in a situation where a child has put themselves or others in danger then spanking should be used if they child needs to learn instantly that what they are doing is wrong. i would never hit a child but i think a swift spank on the backside would get the message across and would make them not want to repeat what they done again!
however when i do have kids if they play up i would never spank them using anything other than my hand

Answer 3

Of course spanking a child is not wrong, sometimes it is the only option available to teach a child right from wrong.A slap across the legs does no lasting damage (unless you put a lot of force into it) and the shock of it is generally enough to make a child realise that it has crossed the line. I personally am fed up with going around town and watching parents repeatedly telling their child to stop doing something or they will get a slap and then just repeating the same threat over and over. Children are not stupid they know when they are getting away with things and they also need to know where the boundaries are. I will probably get a lot of thumbs down now from all those parents that believe smacking is wrong but I would like to point out that there is a limit to slapping and it should only be used as a last resort. It should also only be a light smack, I think a lot of the anti smacking belief there is out there is due to some parents going way over board and laying into their kids. (which I am dead against) When I was a kid a smack was not frowned upon and never did us any lasting harm,sure it stung for a while but you generally thought twice before doing the same thing again.

Answer 4

well i dont think it is always neccesary and i dont think it should be done for every little thing a child does wrong but i do think that with some children who dont pay attention to other forms of punnishment spanking does help sometimes. it really depends on the child and the frequency of the spanking. some parents spank their child for everything and after a while the effect wears off and the child keeps misbehaving dispite the spanking.
im pregnant with my first child at the moment and i plan to use other methods to punnish her if she is naughty (confiscating toys, time outs, etc etc) but if that deosnt work and she is still naughty or if she is really really naughty i will consider spanking her.

Answer 5

A certain amount of physical apprehension must exist, but on same hand, if you resort to it, you have lost.

A VERY difficult question to know the best answer, suffice to say there are good and bad points to both sides of argument. But as an adult looking back, I know that if an adult were to have ever lost it that way with me, I know I would of felt the victor, whether I be right or wrong up to that point so would have to side with it being pointless or negative ... ie. will only come back at you at some point.

Btw -- By spanking, I mean one slap, not a series of hits that makes the kid feel like a slave or anything nasty that way. If you are defining spanking as a repetitive series of hits to both humiliate and degrade the individual, then I am most definitely against it.

Answer 6

I believe that if you smack a child they learn that physical violence is acceptable. They learn that its ok to touch another person without their permission and that if someone does something that you deam as 'bad' that the solution is to hit them (even if u do it lightly that may not be how the child see';s it). Also I do personally feel no one has the right to cause physical harm in any way to another person esp a child who cant really say anything back.

A lot of the children at my pre-school who smack other children when they are upset or the child has taken a toy, sat on their chair etc are children who are smacked themselves at home.

This is only my opinion though and i understand that parents have overal responsibility and so if they choose this form of punishment that I guess is their right to do so.

Answer 7

Spanking is wrong but more wrong is not doing anything t discipline the child. Positive discipline is the best way to raise a child. No punishments, no slapping and again - one great child.

Answer 8

I think it's ok. My parents spanked me as a kid, and I turned out fine. But it's only ok if it's an open hand, and not with a belt or anything else. But I always try to disciple some other way first, but if it's really bad then yes I do spank my kids.

Answer 9

If he does something very extreme it rather is putting him in possibility than a rapid smack on the backside is great in my e book. notwithstanding i do no longer understand why human beings spank their toddler for issues that should quite be dealt with with an afternoon out or different non actual punishment. I very own locate it fairly hard to hit a toddler. i think anybody is distinctive nonetheless.

Answer 10

My dad used to whip my butt good as a kid, but he stoped it because i grew to be extremly tolerent to pain and well everyone is stuborn in my family, so my parents had to resort to other methods.

Which were striping me of my toys and special treats, i lasted a week, but 1 week of boredom and a itch for sugar that needed craving, i gave in and also did not try anythng for a very long time...my parents were happy, saved them money lol.

But i think light spanking is healthy for kids, even if it doesnt hurt, it can cause shock and surprise in your child, but sometimes a little more flick is needed or they just expect it to be harmless. keep the child guesing and they cant plan ahead, like some kids who overeact the pain, to trick u into not smacking so hard.