Spanking Children – A Necessity Or Not?
Posted by Sean on December 31, 2009
No I do not have children of my own, but I have my fair share of children in my life. So please don’t judge my opinion as false just because I have not had the blessing of raising my own children.
I find this article interesting because it drives home the one thing I have been saying all these years about ‘spanking’ or ‘disciplining’ children. I for one support spanking – but more importantly I support consistent disciplining.
then perhaps the consistency of discipline is more important than the form of discipline. In other words, spanking regularly isn’t the problem; the problem is having no regular form of discipline at all.
I was ‘spanked’ as a child. Discipline was always present in my household as a child.
I don’t think I’m the only one that has noticed the ‘out-of-control’ children and ”disrespectful’ youth that populate our streets these days. I often wonder if discipline or ‘spanking’ was part of their rearing?
Things that make you go hmmm. 
Sean Dent said
This is the beauty of the internet and blogging. We all have a right to our opinion. Thanks for yours!
SteveA said
Yeah, well, most parents in the US are not doing either one…and it shows.PD, I will agree that not all things in the good old days were good…and I don't believe in beating the crap out of your kid, but Americans have gotten to the point where they don't even hold their kids accountable for bad behaviour.
pdeverit said
The vast majority of genuine professionals agree that child buttock-battering isn't healthy. Only a marginal few (mostly religious Fundamentalists) promote child bottom-slapping.
Nathan Gray said
Pd,
What is with this silly terminology you are using. It’s called spanking, and it is a word. I’m afraid that the simple fact that you’ve stumbled across some research that attempts to support your claim is unconvincing and inconclusive to say the least. If I really wanted to I could find some bit of research to support just about any odd ball belief that I may attempt to force upon myself or, as in your case, others. It is silly beliefs like yours (notice and give credit that I didn’t say “silly people like you”)that are the reason why my wife and I can hardly go shopping or have dinner at a restaurant without being completely disrupted by out of control, screaming children. By the way, the examples of parenting that we see on “Super Nanny” are not those of overbearing parents who are “biscuit bopping” (or whatever you might call it) their kids to the point of driving them to rebellion. It is, in fact, quite the contrary. We witness Dads who are either uninvolved, disinterested, constantly screaming at the kids, or simply big pansies who let their wives run all over them while they sit smiling foolishly and forcibly.
And finally, the vast majority of professional whats believe that “ass grassing” isn’t healthy? Were you referring to professional parents? Or perhaps you were talking about child psychiatrists who also hold the majority opinion within their circles that so much as using a red pen to score a test is also harmful to children. Maybe next time you come to the table, you should bring a little common sense with you, rather than your mindless research.
Sean Dent said
Great point! I would agree with that 100%. I was the same was as a child, the 'threat' of discipline was almost more effective than the discipline itself.Congratulations to you and your wonderful children.
pinkyrn said
I had to spank my kids out of necessity. They didn't understand my dissertation of right and wrong at age 3 but they did understand when I put up my hand and looked at it and ask, “What is this?” they would then chime out “the spanking hand.” Usually just saying “what is this” was enough and it was not necessary to spank them.I must tell you though, my husbands roomate was very critical of how I raised our daughter and it was a bad karma move because he now has 3 unruly kids and my kids are all well behaved. I am happy to just look at the end result and laugh to myself. My 24 year old is well educated, living on her own and making good money to support herself and she gets along well with people. That is what we are striving for as parents. I also think a good deal of it was luck that she turned out so well. That and answered prayers.
Sean Dent said
Well spoken Steve. I couldn't agree more. Congratulations and kudos for having such wonderful children.
Steve said
Sean, I think it was a little bit of both for baby-boomers (born in 1960) Spankings and discipline kept a helluva lot of us on the straight and narrow. When I was a kid, a teacher could grab kid's shirt to make a salient point-now, teachers have to be afraid of the students. I never would have imagined mouthing off to my parents or an adult when I was a kid. Today, I see parents struggle with their kids in stores and restaurants all of the time. The parents look befuddled like they don't know what to do.My wife and I were very strict with our kids-and now, at 22 and 18, they are respectful, thoughtful adults. Mere coincidence? I think not.