Discipline-To Spank Or Not To Spank

[tammyd2]

Your thoughts?

I personally have never spanked my daughter. I never have had to, to be honest. There are far worse punishments than spanking their little hineys.

BUT, should it be outlawed? I don't think so. There is a difference between a spank and abusing the kid.

wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_022113936.html

[Mediavixen]

Yes, I think it should be against the law. Hitting a child, even lightly, is nothing more than a big person showing power over a smaller person. Simply because they can. If I can't hit you (an adult) then I should not be allowed to hit a child. Period.

that's my .02 cents.

[stuporfly]

mediavixen said:

Yes, I think it should be against the law. Hitting a child, even lightly, is nothing more than a big person showing power over a smaller person. Simply because they can. If I can't hit you (an adult) then I should not be allowed to hit a child. Period.

that's my .02 cents.

I completely agree. We discipline our daughter without resorting to physical or emotional intimidation, and she's a happy, polite, wonderful little girl.

[sanman]

Once again...something I do not feel the Government should be involved with. Regardless of my personal views on spanking (not beating) a child, outlawing it is asinine.

[NineTails]

We don't spank our kids. We usually use time outs, groundings, and/or taking away favourite toys to punish them. Mind you, when I was a kid, I got my fair share of ass whuppings, and they did me no harm at all. I guess times change, but I'm not going to tell another parent the best way to discipline their kids.

[therumrunner5]

Personally, I feel that spanking should be limited to consenting adults. ;-)

**Spanks Sanny**

[electricbarbarella]

Agreed with sanman--this is yet another area the government needs to stay the hell out of my home about.

1. Outlawing spanking will not end child abuse
2. Not all spankings are abuse
3. A proper spanking DOES NOT teach children to be aggressive - those 'studies' are flawed
4. Should the *government* really have a say in this?
5. The secret motives behind some in this movement (and therefore why so many are anxious to join it).


1. There tends to be a belief, albeit in the back of the heads of many, that ending spanking will end child abuse. This a faulty belief. Parents who never spank can still greatly abuse a child. Timeouts that last hours, locking children in their rooms, screaming, insulting, badgering, withholding affection, starving, neglecting, and otherwise mistreating children will happen with our without spanking. By the way, all these things are already illegal and will cause your children to be taken from you by the government.

2. Not all spankings are created equal. Beating a child with a belt cannot be compared to calmly telling a child that he is receiving a spanking for X behavior, giving a swat (or two), and then consoling the child and talking with them. Slapping a child on a whim is also not a proper spanking. Waiting until you're angry to finally hit your child is not a proper spanking. By the way, any punisment administered in anger has the potential to become abuse (see #1!). There will be not distinction in the law about the difference between these kinds of spankings. How could you make a difference? The kinds of spankings that constitute abuse are ALREADY outlawed.

3. All the ah-hem 'studies' that have been done regarding 'spanking' lump abusive spanking with properly administered corporal punishment. Therefore they are inherently flawed. Anecdotal evidence from many parents shows that children who are properly spanked for compelling reasons turn out just fine, but those that are abused come out aggressive and abusive themselves. I can only tell you that there is not a single well-designed scientific study that confirms the hypothesis that spanking by a loving parent breeds violence in children.

4. It is not the government's job to raise our children. It is our job as parents! Yes, parents make mistakes, but who is the government to watch over us and penalize us for every mistake we make? You know what? I've given my children a few spankings they didn't deserve. I regret them and learn from them. But I don't deserve a fine or improsonment for making a mistake with my children. The government is not almighty or all right. Furthermore, in America, We the Citizens are the government. It is not my neighbors job to tell me how to raise my child!

Now, I do understand that those who think spaking is child abuse think they are simply doing a public service by trying to pass this law. But, as I stated before, not all spanking is child abuse, despite what the studies say, and the kind that is abuse is already outlawed.

4. I also have a problem with the motives behind *some* of the people involved in this movement. Spanking represents old school, Judeo-Christian values. Spanking represents parental authority. Spanking represents the belief in the need of children to learn self control. Spanking also represents the belief that children need to learn to be obedient and respect authority. The Social-Progressive movement is diametrically opposed to parental authority, teaching obedience, teaching respect for authority and teaching self-control. The SPs have been slowly working to chip away at the Judeo-Christian values of our nation for years. Taking away spanking is another step in the process.

As I said, this is no place for the government.

~~EB

[somenewromantic]

I have to agree word for word with electricbarbarella.

I don't usually have to spank my girls (although, I will say my son got a couple when he was around 5-6). If my one of my girls hits the other, I will give a few swats to the offending party's backside just to remind them how it feels. For the most part, all I have to do is give them the LOOK.

I have seen my sister spank her boys (one used to throw purple in the face temper tantrums)--for those kinds of temper tantrums, which I thought was stupid. Jacob pitched a fit like that on his Aunt Cheri (me) one time. I went in the bathroom, turned on a cold shower, (him screaming the whole time he hated my guts and his brother's, too), and put him in the cold water, clothes and all, and asked, "How do you like me now??"

It stopped him cold--no pun intended.

Jacob gets along beautifully with me now, and he has yet to throw another tantrum.

[ivyagogo]

I've swatted, but nothing ritualistic like a spanking. Mind you, I've only done it 2 or 3 times and then apologized for it and we talked about why I had to resort to doing it. The government has no rights here unless we are talking about real child abuse.

[NineTails]

My kids know when they've pushed me too far, the same way I knew I'd pushed my mom too far.

I only have to lift my ass out of a chair by a few inches, or give them THE LOOK, and they're outta there.