July 26, 2005

Complete loon here.

Didnt spank my kids.

I WAS spanked as a child and I HATED IT.

And being the mother of two docile, easy-going boys, I just never had a need to spank.

I just never felt comfortable with the idea of hitting a kid. But thats just me.

Can't agree that every child needs to be spanked. All my mom had to do was raise her voice to me and I'd do anything to make her stop - it was physically painful to me to listen to her yell. She DID have to spank my 4 brothers though.

Now my husband and I are at the stage where we really have to decide how we're going to discipline our 3 year old. He's always saying: "Little one, you're gonna learn what a spankin is!" So far, the threat of time outs is working because to her nothing is worse than having to stop playing and sit in a chair for 3 minutes - Oh, the HORROR!

I just don't want to have to be violent in any way with such a small, defenseless person, and I don't want her to think that that is the way to deal with problems either.

This cruel stupidity! Will it ever end?

It is never, n-e-v-e-r, NEVER acceptab le to beat a child. Never.

Get it?

Slavery used to be common too. Doesn't make it right.

Oh Carla, STFU. Abuse is when a child recieves a beating for EVERYTHING he/she does. Discipline is when a child recieves physical punishment because he/she desperately needs it. Everyone here knows the difference.

These topics, shooting to kill the mentally ill, and physical abuse of children, are typical of right-wing, 'strict-father conservatives.'

It's a mindset fraught with error, misunderstanding, and delusional thinking.

Why all the focus on killing for instance?
And beating your children? Does anyone here really think that is good parenting?

And, those like Rob, who look back with nostalgia at the good old days of whipping and slapping have only to look at the mess of a life they have today to know it wasn't all that good.

Rob: No job, no wife, no kids, no job, nothing but severance money and a blog.

Is that success? To hear him tell it, he's at the top of the world. In his crackerbox laid up with swollen feets. !

Every child needs to be spanked, as every child will test the limits of their parents when they grow up. Every animal on the planet does it, including humans, as a natural part of growing up.

Never had to pick the switch out, myself, as my dad preferred his belt, but I only got it when I lied or tried to weasel out of something. If I faced the music and confessed when I'd done something wrong, I got yelled at and the traditional denial of fun stuff punishment, but that was it.

It's a lesson in character that's made me the man I am today, and it's the reason the majority of kids today will never be one, regardless of how old they get.

Mr. Lion,

You are absofuckinglutely wrong--""every animal on the planet does it''''

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Makes me wonder what other fuckups you're responsible for if you are SOFUCKINGSTUPID to think this.

And physical abuse is NOT discipline. Lots of parents care for their children without inflicting pain. God, even animal trainers know this.

You stupid people deserve each other.

If you call it "beating", then it sounds bad.

If you don't have any "discipline" then your children will be bad.

Just plain common sense... wake up America!

Ship all the blue people to France. Please!

Apparently Carla wasn't beaten enough as a child.

I can count the number of times on one hand the number of times I've had to spank my oldest son. Did I enjoy it? Hell, no. Would I do it again, if the situation warranted it? Yup...without hesitation.
There are lines that I don't want my children to cross and I won't hesitate to physically punish them for those infractions.

There is a difference between a spanking, a whipping, and a beating. Can't see anything wrong with spanking a child who needs it. A whipping is sometimes needed to bring an adult under control. And, I have whipped and been whipped when I was younger.
But a beating doesn't prove a damn thing. It will either break the spirit and cow the individual or make them meaner than a snake-and usually both.

Hitting a child is wrong and a child never, ever, under any circumstances, except literal physical self-defense, should be hit.

There is no situation that changes the act of hitting someone from a wrong thing into a right thing.

There is no excuse that magically turns hurting someone on purpose into a kind or merciful thing.

This is confusing, though, isn't it?

A law can say that it is all right to do something that is normally wrong in order to stop a wrong thing. Still, hitting someone is almost never a better 'wrong' thing to do or the 'lesser of two bad things'.

Defending ourselves from physical attack (one of few examples) might be less wrong than the physical attack itself.

But the law sets a limit for this rare sort of situation. The law limits a physical defense that involves hitting someone to interrupting only or ending only the attack upon the physical safety of a person.

Corporal punishment is a thing of the past, outlawed in our schools, and elsewhere, for good reason.

Do not fool yourselves into thinking it is right or 'quaint' just because you were beaten as a child.

"These topics, shooting to kill the mentally ill, and physical abuse of children, are typical of right-wing, 'strict-father conservatives.'"

Bruce, you don't know what you're talking about. Back when black families were headed mostly by men, sparing the rod was barely heard of, especially with boys. Are most black families right-wing and conservative?

Make your point, but don't use politics to do it. It only makes you look uninformed.

Good call, Juliette.

I grew up in a family where spanking was used to teach children to obey.

I'll repeat that, with a little emphasis on the age range involved: my parents spanked us for being disobedient, mostly when we were aged 1-8 years.

By the time we were teenagers, our parents had established that they were in authority, and no longer needed to use physical force.

There were still times of disagreement, but my father and mother had already established that they were in a position of authority, and that they were interested in us showing signs of maturity. Most of our time as a family was NOT spent in discipline sessions, and we managed to enjoy each others' company greatly. Still do, as a matter of fact.

My brother and I were spanked (and yes, we had to go get a switch off the crabapple tree in the backyard), my brother more than I. Anyway, just to be clear, we were NOT beaten. I learned not to do that thing I got spanked for anymore because I didn't want to experience it again.
I agree that some parents let their kids get away with anything and everything. They want to be their kid's friend. They don't get it. As a result, there are a lot of spoiled little ( and not so little) brats walking and running around.
I didn't always get what I wanted, but did always have everything I needed. I love my parents and have become (hopefully) a decent and caring person because of what I learned growing up.
:-)

Listen, you hard-headed liberals!!!
Spanking does not equal beating, for Pete's sake!
And yes, there are instances where spanking is necessary and right.
It's Biblical, and it is effective if done properly.
Kids are out of control today because parents are afraid of them, afraid they "won't like them." Undisciplined kids resent their parents. That's Biblical too. Just because you don't "believe" it doesn't make it false.