You have probably heard the expression, "Spare the rod, spoil the child." Do you agree with it? Perhaps you were spanked as a kid. Was it appropriate? Some people see spanking as an outdated method of punishment or even child abuse, while others view a swat on the bottom as a parent's prerogative. Where do we draw the line when it comes to disciplining our children?
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Corporal Punishment is Violence, Not Rhetoric
- From Center for Effective Discipline
By Center for Effective Discipline
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Interesting choice of evidence...
In the first line of an obvious DISCLAIMER it states, --a thorough understanding of whether and how corporal punishment affects children has not been reached. This little tidbit of info would infer that the naysayers are busy paddling without a boat beneath them.
As a parent of two grown children, I profess that spanking is NOT a panacea. But just like cough syrup, when used properly it can SAVE the life of a child. Spanking works early on when a parent is striving to communicate with a child that is bereft of ANY conception of codes of conduct OR most importantly--DANGER! My children were made to hearken to voice command and NEVER ignore the parent. To do so could bring about a sudden pain in the backside.
I believe that it is infinitely preferable to raise a child a little fearful than having the little free-spirited brat squished by a pickup truck in the parking lot of Whole Foods because he/she were used to being negotiated with.
Just my opinion. I could be wrong.
- BLZeebub
August 19, 2008 6:56PM
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Side: Yes
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I Agree
Both my children are adults now. When they were young they knew better than do something I had instructed them not to do. As the father it was my job to correct both my kids when they did wrong and I kept my belt handy. Both my kids knew if they stepped out of line what would happen. My kids are grown now and are professional in their employment, I could not ask for two better adults and we sit around laughing about the times I whipped their butts when they did wrong.
If all you super brains that profess to know child rearing better than the parents would shut your mouths, get married, have a couple of kids and try raising them using your warped understanding of raising a child, then you would know how important it is to smack them on the butt every now and then to get their undivided attention. By the way, if spanking is so wrong, then tell me why the prison system is filling up so fast with young people? Bet if dad and mom would have whacked them on their backsides a few times when they were younger, they would not be in prison.
- shadow
November 23, 2008 4:10AM
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Side: Yes
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Have you considered your lifestyle is not the only one?
First, it's been proven that spanking for the most part just doesn't solve the problem. Spanking, like religion, only teaches children to fear punishment instead of teaching them why what they've done is wrong.
I was personally raised never having been spanked or punished more than being denied certain things for a day. Am I in prison? No! In fact, the worst trouble I've ever gotten into is detention for forgetting homework. The reason is that I understand why certain things are wrong and have empathy, instead of fear of retribution. You tell me which is the better and more responsible method? Or is being lazy and just abusing your child to shut them up better?
The reason our prisons are filling up probably has a little something to do with the massive rate at which our population is growing, greater poverty (a large source of crime), etc. We could always attribute it to spanking, but frankly, you've no evidence to back this up. I would think that teaching children WHY something is wrong would keep them out of jail better than to fear punishment. But that's just the logical conclusion.
Lazy parenting is not the best parenting.
- Blue Linchpin
December 31, 2008 1:27PM
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Side: No
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