Spanking children

[Rapscallion]

Let's hear it - who's for and who's against?

Rapscallion

[rahmota]

I vote for. Why? Because under some circumstances it can be quite motivational if not used excessively and if only used as a punishment not just to vent your anger. Never punish angry that just shows that you dont have control of the situation and as you are the parent you are supposed to be in control. Very hard to do and not always possible but it is still the goal one should strive for.

We use a three level punishment approach though here.
Level 1: A good talking to. Time out in the corner or other place to sit and think about the consequences of their actions. Generally used for minor infractions.

Level 2: Confined to their rooms. Loss of privelidges or items (no tv, no radio, etc..) and grounding. Used for repeated minor infractions or as an immediqate response to fighting (Seperate then determine reason for fighting and if any other punishments need be applyed.

Level 3: Physical punishment. Ie jumping jacks. run laps, stand in middle of the room with arms raised for a period of time or a swat across the bottom with the broad flat belt or open palm. This is usually for the most severe infractions or repeated infractions.

Generally my kids respond very well to this and while not little perfect angels at least are not total hellions either. Rather well adjusted and nominal kids.

[ShockQueen]

Gotta do it sometimes!

I vote a huge FOR here....

When I was younger, if my mom thought I was out of line, I got a spoon to the butt. It never broke bones, caused me to bleed, or anything else nasty. Yes, it stung, but you know what....it got the point across.

I HATE the busybodies that drive by you when you're disciplining your child saying "you know that's child abuse!" SHUT UP!! Maybe if more parents disciplined their children in more direct ways, we wouldn't have the rampant herds of flesh-waste roaming the land now!

You raise your kids your way, I'll raise mine mine, and we'll see which one learns more about how the world works in the end.

[ArenaBoy]

I'm for it also as it does straighten kids out. Spanking needs to be used sparingly because if one goes overboard it can be considered violence. There are times when a spanking isn't needed at all but something like a voice that can scare even the biggest SC. My dad is a perfect example, he can keep his temper when it's obvious he's being aggravated. If he's pushed far enough this is what you get and it's just one word: HEY!!!!!!!!!! times 10. One word silenced us. My mom used spanking and she used a spoon that still scares me to this day. If I screwed up and got a tanned hide, did I complain? Nope, I would never do that behavior again that got me in trouble in the first place.

[DesignFox]

I vote a huge FOR. I got my butt tanned once in awhile (with my dad's bear paws, no spoon or belt was necessary) and I don't feel I've turned out any the worse for it. One swat to the bottom or crack across the cheek and THAT behavior was never repeated.

Mostly, my parents didn't need to get to the point of grounding or giving a spanking...the raised voice or the sounding out of my full name was enough to get me to stop.

I think more parents need to give their kids a whoopin'. Maybe then, they wouldn't be such horrid little brats.

[AFPheonix]

Oh, it depends on the kid, methinks. I got swatted a few times, and all mom had to do was give me the Churchlady Look if I started to drift out of line, and that tended to be enough to get me right back to where I needed to be, if I wanted to not get a spankin'.


However, there are parents out there who have kids who just flat out don't care if they get spanked, and they keep going for that, rather than come up with something that will actually get the kid's attention.

Go for where it hurts if they deserve it, I say, and for some kids that would be the butt, for others it would be making their game console disappear for awhile.

[rahmota]

Exactyl AFP. Thats why I use spankin as an option off of a menu of Options. Its all part of motivating the kid to self correct their behavior before you have to punish them.

[stormtreader]

I also vote for, for the same reason as AFP.
It needs to be there as a last resort, same as prison is for adults.

[Luna]

I vote a huge FOR. I think if more children were spanked a lil bit more - society would be a much better and more respectful place. Nowadays if you even raise your voice to a child - they scream abuse and threaten to call local child endangerment agencies.

Every day I see children screaming at their parents. Cursing at them, hitting them. I want, I want, I want. The parents then buy them what they want. I would gotten a good crack across the butt and been punished for daring to raise my voice or my hands to my parents.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I vote a huge FOR. I think if more children were spanked a lil bit more - society would be a much better and more respectful place. Nowadays if you even raise your voice to a child - they scream abuse and threaten to call local child endangerment agencies.

Every day I see children screaming at their parents. Cursing at them, hitting them. I want, I want, I want. The parents then buy them what they want. I would gotten a good crack across the butt and been punished for daring to raise my voice or my hands to my parents.

I couldn't agree more. People are all about giving children the same rights as adults... well, I say give kids the same rights as adults the day that kids have the same responsibilities as adults. Since they don't, then they don't deserve any more rights than we had as kids. I once saw a little boy call his mum a bitch for not buying him sweets. I would have gotten the whacking of a lifetime had I even uttered that word in passing, let alone directed it at my mum.

[rahmota]

Discipline has definately gotten out of fashion. Thanks in part to a lot of the freaks who call children services at the slightest whim or scream abuse if you punish the child in any fashion. They sit and talk to their child like an adult and say stuff like "Now if you dont do that then we can go do this. Like the child has an option. I'm sorry in my book the adult has the power and the options. The child is a foot soldier in the army with the option of follow orders or be punished. Now those orders have to be reasonable and responsible and that is the duty and requirements of the parents but still.. And as the child gets older and understands right, wrong and gray ideas more then they can have more options and freedoms and power until by the time they are an adult they should be able to stand on their own feet and make their own choices and decisions.

[blas87]

FOR.

I was spanked as a child. The belt was a bit excessive, yes, I realize this. But every time I did something and got spanked, I NEVER did it again because I was so terrified of what kind of butt whacking I would get this time.

Did I turn out to be a serial killer? No. I learned to be an upstanding citizen and a decent young adult. I have no patience for these "parents" and their lack of parenting skills. And you wonder why so many little brats get away with everything these days.

[ditchdj]

I remember once on Sally Jesse a long time ago about "abusive children". They pointed out that the law against child abuse was meant to protect the children but now it's just harboring abusive children. I'm having discipline problems with my nine-year-old, talking back and disrepectful toward my wife and me. I'm about ready to let the goddamn system have her and just say, "If you're being mistreated so horribly by us just because we ask you to do something then go live in some foster homes and never hear from us and see how much "better" life will be for you!" That's the only way some kids are gonna find out.

I remember one time a woman was charged with assault because her 16-year-old daughter called her a "fucking bitch" during an argument and her mother slapped her in the mouth. During the trial her lawyer argued that if he called his mother that not only would his mother smack him but his brothers would probably want a crack at him too. The jury refused to convict her and found her not guilty.

[AFPheonix]

http://news.bostonherald.com/nationa...ticleid=178173

Scary.

[BusBus]

FOR!

I also got spanked when I was a child. Nothing scared me more than being spanked. There are some responsibilities associated with using that type of punishment (i.e. don't bruise or break the kid). A friend of mine's father is bipolar, so when she was younger, her mother was responsible for the spanking, because he did not want his moods to effect the punishments.