Disciplining your child is one of the hardest parts of being a parent. Of course you want to correct negative behaviors in the most productive way possible, but sometimes the words “military school” can sound pretty tempting. How can you be sure the way you discipline your child will produce a happy and healthy adult?
I am not a huge proponent of spanking, but it can be effective and unavoidable -- particularly with a “difficult” child. There are children who come in to this world with a mind of their own – I know, because I was one of them – and it’s important they learn early on that they are not (yet) the boss. Unfortunately, this sometimes includes a swat on the behind. However, spanking should be an infrequent occurrence – not a regular form of discipline. In fact the majority of parents in America understand this, since 63% said they’ve “resorted to spanking their kids.”
Resorting to something and doing it often and inappropriately (in anger, for example) isn’t the same thing. An occasional swat on the behind bears no resemblance to physical abuse; to suggest otherwise is to dismiss the pain and suffering of abused children everywhere.
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