Sometimes we think polar opposites only happen along party lines but there has been a war brewing over how you discipline your child. Heck, you can say the debate goes back as far as when the phrase, "spare the rod, spoil the child," was first uttered. One side believes that any act of violence only generates more violence... so they deem it child abuse. The other side seems to share common religious threads that cite references to disciplining a child on the rear with "the rod" and that it worked for them as children. Studies have been done on non-physical disciplines and corporal punishment which have contradicted each other leaving evidence out there for and against spanking.
My own personal feeling is that the rise of alternative discipline has created children who have lost the fear of being chastised from authority figures (mother, father, preacher, teacher or police officer.) I know that I have learned from several swattings in the past but also know those were very few. But, I'd like to hear where you stand.
3 comments:
You are really getting into some serious issues lately Martin...
I'm not sure yet where I stand with this. I was spanked as a child, and I had a real fear of being in trouble, so it worked for the most part. But being raised by a very strict military dad, I got some real spankings I am resentful for to this day.
Growing up we would get hit with the belt across the ass. When you heard the *snap* of that belt beforehand we'd run and hide under the covers or elsewhere.
A belt may seem extreme in today 's world of "time-outs" but a lot of people my age had very similar experiences.
My own kids when they were younger have gotten a hand swat on the butt when needed.
As for that picture, I have a very similar sticker at work that someone mailed in that reads 'No Spanking', it found a home there on my corkboard.
I think you can instill respect for authority without spanking (of course, I don't actually have kids so this is a theory). I got spanked occasionally (just swatted) but absolutely hated it and felt pretty humiliated. I swore I wouldn't do it to my kids, as I don't want them to learn hitting is ok when you're mad. But I definitely see a lack of any kind of negative discipline these days (I think the "I'm disappointed" talk can actually be more effective than spanking...)
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