What do you think about spanking?

i'm totally against spanking kids at any age. i strongly suggest you try other non-violent ways to discipline ur kid.

Great an opinion based question!! Spanking gets immediate short lived results. Eventually the kid gets scared of his/her own parent. Spanking is the easy way out of punishing a kid. Be more creative. I think children who are bad, need firm parenting in the form of time outs. As a kid the thing in our house was to put our noses in the corner, facing the wall, for a minimum of 5 minutes and it never exceeded 20 mins.

Sarcastically: As an electrician, my ideal time out would be to turn the power off to the room (during the day obviously), so there would be no tv or video games. And give them a book on electrical code. That's torture enough.

no, i think if you want to, you can find much more intelligent ways to guide a child's behavior. what does spanking teach? when someone doesn't do something the way you want, you hit them?

if parents talked to children on their level, often times they'd find out how the child rationalized their behavior in that moment & why they acted that way. children, after all, arent born knowing anything about how the world works; & are often at the mercy of their emotions. this takes patience, though; and a genuine interest in teaching children right from wrong in a safe, loving way. spanking is not safe or loving. it's a way for a person to take their own frustrations out on a helpless child. I am the mother of an intelligent, healthy, peaceful, & well-adjusted 9 yr old. Best of luck to you-

I think it is absolutely needed if a child is to really learn that NO means no or what unaccetpable behavior is!

We had a guest speaking in a coleg class that said you should NEVER spank a child.. I posed a few questions such as what would you do if your child was finding lighters and matches and coming in the living room to set the couch on fire?

She said she'd put him/her in time out... I asked what if they wouldn't stay there? She said she'd lock him in his room and leave him there - I said room normally do not have locks on the outsode and that is also illegal.

She changed subject to say she wouldn't leave matches or lighters around... But when asked, she had a gas stove... also no comment on if he/she found the matches outside on the street.... More questions followed what I started and she left half way through the time alloted her for her "speaking".

By the way - another person asked her what children she had - SHE HAD NONE. 9 out of 10 times when a person STRONGLY believe in not spanking a child, it seems they do not have children, or have a baby that has not reached the 3-4 year old stage where 'testing' the parent is an everyday occurance.

With children who are around 4 years of age..... if someone is unable to discipline them without spanking, then I believe the adult needs to look at themselves.

Using the right tone of voice, setting the right boundaries and ensuring that there are consequences for the child's actions (and being consistent with it) is enough for a child of 4... they should toe the line..... however, the fundamental basis for this to work, is that there is respect..... respect for the adult, and respect for the child.

As an early childhood teacher, I have never had to (or been allowed to) spank a child as a means of discipline. I have had about 2 children out of about 700 that the above method did not work on. Not bad odds, wouldnt you say??

Sorry. I thought this was a grown up sex question!

You do not have to spank children to teach them and get them to do what you want them to do.

Hitting a child gives more satisfaction to the hitter then any lesson you wish to impart.

If you do not get my meaning come a Little bit closer and I will smack your face. Now you get what I mean.

I will hit you some more, then you will get the message.

There are lots of better ways of getting your child to do the right thing.

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Go to the library, ask your librarian for some parenting books. Look around in your neighborhood for parenting groups. Go on line and seek out alternatives.

Please do not hit your kids.

I firmly believe in corporal punishment, measured out with love. I never hit in anger, always talked to them before and after, and was concerned with their safety. I didn't have to spank them many times, because when I did I was serious. I also never threatened w/out following through. Everyone who knows my kids (14 yr boy and 10 yr girl) say they are the most respectful, polite and good kids they know! They are right. My kids are the best!

spare the rod and spoil the child they say.....

its true....you have to start somewhere....

but it is advised that u use ur hand when spanking so you will know the limit...

dont use objects to spank cause you wont be able to judge the force and pain felt by the child...im sure you dont want to bruise your kid...

Yes, absolutely it's okay ... for a four year old up until you're still bigger than them. The alternative is to have them "talk about their feelings" or to think up their own punishment and that doesn't work.

if she's older than 35........maybe...a gentel tap...if yr talking punishment......forget.it....walk through the difficulty....WITH....whom ever....millions of lives have been wwasted..yearly because people are punished rather than helped....the english language is very ignorant of some of it's sentences......and people sentence.... why?......a 4 yr old needs a buddie and a friend.............lotsa us....get to tied up in parent/child........mom's are kids too........share....it looks good on ya