Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Just to throw in my 2 cents here once more and please, note the IMO! I am not here to judge anyone, just giving personal experience... I was spanked as a child....belt and all. The only thing it did for me besides instill fear, which I'm sure thats what some that hit have intentions to do, is make me feel pretty darn bad about myself. I can remember as a young child getting a whipping, going to my room and hiding behind my dresser, sitting in a fetal position and saying to myself "why am I such a piece of...". "I must really be bad for my Dad to treat me this way". So, as much as anyone would like to justify spanking, I really think its just negative reinforcement and one could think of alternative ways to discipline their kids. Don't get me wrong here, kids DO need discipline. I believe that shows your love for your child and letting them know in life their are consequences for their actions, but I think there are other ways to do so. I have four children by the way, do not hit, and so far they are basically pretty good kids. I'm just thankful that I was able to break the cycle with the hitting, because I know that others are not, and history just keeps repeating itself..........Jeannie
Last edited by jeannie216; 04-08-2009 at 04:37 AM..
I don't remember ever being spanked, but I spanked my four kids a few times. They can all remember the times they were spanked and what the infraction was. It was only for something life threatening, like riding their bikes across the street without looking, etc.
Further, my experience is that if you lightly spank an unreasonable three yr old once or twice, it sets up who's the boss and isn't necessary after that.
PS: They are all adults now, and all turned out great, and are good parents themselves.
Last edited by gentlearts; 09-14-2007 at 05:47 AM..
I am 110% against the hitting of children. Anyone who hits a child does not deserve to be a parent. Why would you one one hand teach a kid to not hit or attack someone, yet at the same time use physical force on your children? It seems some adults have some kind of sick obsession with hitting children.
I have 2 kids, do not and have never hit them in any way shape or form, and they are very well behaved, respectful of others, and very nice and giving to others. Complimented constantly on their behavior by their teachers.
There are consequences in our house for bad behavior, but I think we're past the caveman days of physical punishment, if you want to hit something stop being a coward and pick on someone your own size.
I'm awaiting the day when people will be arrested for hitting kids. At this point, a dog seems to have more protection under the law than a human child.
I am 110% against the hitting of children. Anyone who hits a child does not deserve to be a parent. Why would you one one hand teach a kid to not hit or attack someone, yet at the same time use physical force on your children? It seems some adults have some kind of sick obsession with hitting children.
I have 2 kids, do not and have never hit them in any way shape or form, and they are very well behaved, respectful of others, and very nice and giving to others. Complimented constantly on their behavior by their teachers.
There are consequences in our house for bad behavior, but I think we're past the caveman days of physical punishment, if you want to hit something stop being a coward and pick on someone your own size.
I'm awaiting the day when people will be arrested for hitting kids. At this point, a dog seems to have more protection under the law than a human child.
Just to throw in my 2 cents here once more and please, note the IMO! I am not here to judge anyone, just giving personal experience... I was spanked as a child....belt and all. The only thing it did for me besides instill fear, which I'm sure thats what some that hit have intentions to do, is make me feel pretty darn bad about myself. I can remember as a young child getting a whipping, going to my room and hiding behind my dresser, sitting in a fetal position and saying to myself "why am I such a piece of s**t!". "I must really be bad for my Dad to treat me this way". So, as much as anyone would like to justify spanking, I really think its just negative reinforcement and one could think of alternative ways to discipline their kids. Don't get me wrong here, kids DO need discipline. I believe that shows your love for your child and letting them know in life their are consequences for their actions, but I think there are other ways to do so. I have four children by the way, do not hit, and so far they are basically pretty good kids. I'm just thankful that I was able to break the cycle with the hitting, because I know that others are not, and history just keeps repeating itself..........Jeannie
Excellent post, I couldn't have said it better myself. I went through the same thing as you. My parents are divorced and I lived until I was 11 with mother. My mother hit me all the time...used a belt. My self-esteem was in the toilet. I though I was scum of the earth, and as a result had a hard-time making friends. It took years to recover from that, and luckily I was allowed to move in with my father when I was 11, who never hit me, by the way. But my father instilled positive principles in me, mutual respect, hard work, the value of a dollar. As a result, I resent my mother, hardly even talk to her these days. My father is still one of my best friends in the world who will always have my respect...because he took the time to be a parent and teach me life lessons. My mother was lazy so she just took out the belt and cracked me one.
My heart goes out to all of you who were beaten as children. I can only imagine the terror and fear that you must have felt. I hope that you're surrounded by people who love you and treat you well now.
I received one spanking as a very young child for wandering out of the yard. I swatted my daughter a few times as a toddler but stopped when I realized that I was acting out of fatigue and frustration and wasn't really disciplining her at all. And I really didn't want to hit the person I loved more than anyone else in the world.
While I don't think a swat on the bottom does any long-term damage to a child, I don't think it does any good, either. It's certainly not more effective than time-outs or positive discipline. I have never seen it improve a situation.
When I was pregnant a co-worker told me that her mother told her that you should never spank a child for anything he or she is going to grow out of. Although I swore off spanking all together, I've thought about that a lot over the years and try to keep it in mind when I'm disciplining my daughter.
I toughen him up with the strap and keep a bottle of whiskey handy if I work up a thirst.
More seriously, my son is 5 weeks old, but I do not plan corporal punishment. I myself only received a few, sporadic spankings as a kid. My parents used grounding, no tv, no desert, etc and that hits hard.
I am not saying spanking is wrong. I do not know. As long as it does not turn into a outright beating. Spanking is one of many forms of discipline.
What's most important is that your discipline is dispensed and consistent. There must be some consequence for bad behavior.
do not spank. use your brain and mouth (no yelling though) to discipline instead. also, your kids feed off your energy and tend to mimic what you do so if you're walking around all stressed out and angry and hyper then chances are they will be also. if you stay calm and peaceful and humorous then you wont even have to think about spanking.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am not here to judge anyone, just giving personal experience... I was spanked as a child....belt and all. The only thing it did for me besides instill fear, which I'm sure thats what some that hit have intentions to do, is make me feel pretty darn bad about myself. I can remember as a young child getting a whipping, going to my room and hiding behind my dresser, sitting in a fetal position and saying to myself "why am I such a piece of...". "I must really be bad for my Dad to treat me this way". So, as much as anyone would like to justify spanking, I really think its just negative reinforcement and one could think of alternative ways to discipline their kids. Don't get me wrong here, kids DO need discipline. I believe that shows your love for your child and letting them know in life their are consequences for their actions, but I think there are other ways to do so. I have four children by the way, do not hit, and so far they are basically pretty good kids. 
