spanking

It is a tight rope that we walk now days its dang if we do and dam if we dont. I have an 8 year old and sometimes I do swat her behind. She learns from it. A couple years ago right after I got married to my Husband I smacked my stepson, he just turned 17 and called me a couple names, after I slapped him across the face to tell him shut up. He called the cops on me. Well the cops came out and told him we could do anything we wanted to do to him as long as it did not leave a mark. The Boy went cusin and raising cain at the police well the officer asked my husband for a bar of soap. He handcuffed the boy and had my husband put the bar of soap in his mouth. lets just say he watched his mouth for the next year. the day he turned 18 he started going down hill. He is now in jail for the next 2 years. Its his own fault. I believe a child needs discipline right of the bat or the kids will never grow up to be a responsible person. I do spank my daughter but I would never bruise her, shake her or hurt her.

Though I am against child abuse, being a parent I know that some kids deserve a spanking once in a while. I would refrain from doing it in public but when things get really out of hand, that was the best option because my son tried to get away with behaviour thinking I wouldn't spank him in public. But one spank in public and he got the message. My younger one (who is 19 months) has started banging his head on the person's forehead when he is angry and being carried by them. I do give a tap on his forehead to show him that it's not right. I want my kids to behave well in public and any behaviour that would be disturbing to others, I will try to stop...if a spanking is what it takes, then that is what my kids get.

I personally think there is a thin line with even a small swat on the behind. If you swat them every once in a while, it means something to them. If you swat them all the time, the start to get immune to it and just continue to do what ever. I am not against a swat, I'm just against swatting all the time. I wouldn't have turned the guy in unless he was my next door neighbor and I saw him doing it all the time.

I don't think spanking is abuse, specially because children can be really unbearable, specially when they are in the public because they know that their parents will be much better to them in public than at home, at home you can tell to the child to go to his room, or even try to explain something to him but in public that's impossible and most of the children are aware of that so that use it to get what they want. I think that this police officer exaggerated. The problem is that this is kind a behavior we can expect today so parent really have to pay attention on what they do. I am not blaming the father and I know that children can really behave like brats but parents be careful because you can end up like this poor father.

The world would be a slightly better place if some of these "sensitive" parents took a moment to reach out and swat their child on the bum. It's discipline, not abuse. There's a difference between a little pain and something that leaves a mark. I was spanked as a child, and I think I'm better for it. I can't believe some of the crap parents have to put up with just for mildly disciplining a child.

Why do you think there are so many unruly kids in public places? Why do you think children take their parents to court to get what they want just like recently that girl whose father told her she would not be allowed to go on a school trip because of her bad behavior? And what did the court do? The judge thought the girl is right. We are at the point where parents are afraid to enforce any kind of discipline because somebody may just call the police and/or take them to court. I have seen something similar as you describe it. In a restaurant, the father was lightly swatting the hand of a two year old who had been throwing food everywhere and just simple reprimands didn't work. The woman at the next table got visibly upset got up and shortly thereafter I saw her talk to the waitress. Like twenty minutes later the father of the child asked for the bill. The waitress brought it and took the credit card and did not return. Then the police came and took the father outside for interrogation. Meanwhile the woman who had called the police started in on the mom on how she could tolerate that and that she is a horrible mom. This woman thought she was a hero. Then the mom just wanted to escape. She grabbed everything and wanted to get up. Now the waitress came with the bill and made her sign it, but not the credit card. All the time this woman was still yelling at the mom. When the mom noticed that the credit card was gone, the waitress pretended to look for it like it must have fallen under the table or something. The mom got up and we saw she was highly pregnant, about ready to pop. Now that woman got into a tirade on how she could have another child with that man and how she doesn't deserve it. Eventually the mom looked like she got cramps. She grabbed the child and left. Meanwhile we had paid and my husband had gone to bring the car around while I got the kids ready to go. While I was doing that an upset manager came and told the waitress that the couple was going to file a theft report because of the missing credit car on advice of the police and that the police was upset to have been called over something like that. The waitress pulled the card out of her pocket and handed it to the manager who brought it to the front. The woman who instigated all of this was upset that the police wasn't doing anything and went to talk to them. When I left I passed by them. They were telling her that no harm had been done but that she was free to file a report with social services. But he told her point blank that from her place she could not have seen what really went on and that several customers who had a better look said that it was a light swat to make the child stop after telling her to stop had not worked. In fact several people seem to have stated that they would have done the same, maybe even a harder smack. Boy she was furious. They also told her that several people had been telling them that she was verbally assaulting the mom, who looked like she was going into labor. And that he was about to go and come to the mom's aid when the mom came to the front of the restaurant. He told her again that they would not charge the parents for anything as there was no wrongdoing. But she was free to report the parents to social services but that the mom may have a good case to file charges against her. Anyhow, my husband later told me that he was one of the people they had questioned. He too had told the cop he would have smacked the kid, probably even earlier. I mean the food was flying across the table and close to other people's food. He said the cop had said he probably would have given the child a swat on the butt, lol. A light swat doesn't harm, especially if it stops the behavior asap. Unfortunately, as a parent you are darned if you do and darned if you don't. People get upset if you don't discipline and restrain your child's bad behavior in a public place, and people get upset if you do. It's a tight rope to walk. I'm glad there are laws in place that are meant to prevent child abuse. Unfortunately there are some people who take it too far. They already see child abuse when in their opinion you only look at your child the wrong way. I have heard many other parents complain about incidents where they or a friend had been accused of not treating their children right when they were out and about. Where even time outs were viewed as harsh and unjust disciplinary measures. If push comes to fall, one can only hope that the people in charge make the right judgement call...

Parents have a duty and a responsibility to discipline their children For many reasons, different parents will have different approaches and ideas. Regardless, neither the rent-a-cop, a real cop or the mayor have the right to intervene for a swat. Obviously angry parents do get out of control and protection is good, but they will need to deal with those situations without taking away parental rights of the majority who are doing a good job. djbtol

It makes me mad when people think they can tell you how to discipline our children.If they choose to not spank thier kids thats thier business.But they should stay out of it if parents do spank their child.I can understand if they were beating the child or something but a swat on the rear end isnt going to hurt.I got spanked when I was a child and I turned out okay.LOL.Some kids you see walking around an being rude and doing everything you canname and some parents dont do anything about it just let them do it.My husband told us we have to be careful at Wal-mart even because they will report people for spanking thier rear.Well I take them to the bathroom and spank thier rear(not real hard)and give them a talking too.I also take them away from the situation if they repeatably keep doing it.I think cops and people take spanking to out of hand in my opinion but the kids that actually get beat on and have visible brusies that they know is not from falling down then some people and the law seem to turn their head and not do anyting about it but for a little spanking that isnt beating they holler abuse.That is just my opinion.

Its really amazing how it has become illegal to swat a child. When I was young spanking became the subject of a comedy and people fully accepted it as a form of correction. I'm not saying you should beat somebody till their butt is raw but children need to be corrected. The reason children behave so badly and grow up to be delinquents is because they are not corrected while they are very young. I'm sure these kinds of laws are responsible for a lot of delinquency.

Personally I would have been hard pressed not to deck the rent-a-cop for sticking his nose in where it didn't belong. That's what's wrong with kids now, no one wants to discipline them, or they're afraid too. What the cop should have done was walk over and tell the kid 'now listen to your parents'. All he did was reinforce the kids behavior, he sent a bad message to that kid.

Good Lord, things are really getting ridiculous. I'm sorry, but sometimes a child being a brat can use a little swat on the behind. I only remember it happening to me once or twice, but it was enough so that the threat of it kept me in line through most of my childhood. Maybe the fact that somewhere in the last 30 years this has become "wrong", has something to do with all the problem children and young adults we have now.

I dont think there is anything wrong with a little smack just so it is not in an abusive way . There is a time and place for everything and I think this is what happened . I could see if the man was no stop smacking his child and the child was scared and kicking and screaming . I think each cop / rent cop deals with it in each way they feel fit .

Oh that's ridiculous! No wonder why kids are so out of hand today, you can't even give them a innocent spanking on the butt without having the police called on you. I think that's ridiculous. I agree that in certain situations where a child is publicly being abused there should be laws to protect that child but for something like this, laws need to be changed...

I don't think spanking will ever be "normal" anymore! Even in Walmart, you can't spank your child without strangers staring at you like you're a bad parent! I think that spanking is okay to a certain extent. A swat on the rear is more of an attention getter in my house than a form of discipline. We mostly use time out, but to make sure she's paying attention, we swat sometimes.

it is ok that the dad wanted to make his unruly child behave. but was it beyond limit in that case it was correct thing for the man to call cop. sometyimes parents beat too much.

No I do not. If that boy went and disobeyed and did something worse like put his finger in a socket and threw all the clothes in the store in a pile and stomped on them, they would immediately blame the father for not disciplining him. So I guess the rent a cop said that it was all right for the kid to disrespect his parents. Wait until that kid grows up and turns to crime. I hope that father and mother took the name of that rent a cop so when a talk show interviews them as to why their son is a criminal, they can tell the name of that idiot.

wow, i dont think there is wrong with that. a little disipline... kids needs that. when my children arestill young i also do that. spank them. not beat them. spank is just reminding the child that he/she needs to follow and what he/she is doing is not acceptable. i can stand a child talk to their parents without respect and get away with it. thats the reason why there are more disrespectful kids nowadays because some parents no longer spank. as the bible said spare the rod spoil the child.

spanking is still physical abuse and the spanked grow up to be spankers par excellent. for it is humilating to be hit and once a kid gets big enough to fight back he remembers that the hitter has power. so he gets married and he keeps his wife in tow by punching her as he learned that the parents had the power to quell a little kid now he has the power to quell his wife if she does not agree with him. no no spanking for me, I taught my kid discipline by time outs, by taking away priveledges and standing in the corner. my kid grew up to be a fine law abiding' man who does not hit anyone.

it's okay to spank but parents should do it in a proper way and in a proper place. the spank should be like a little discipline, not like trying to kill someone. then after spanking your kid, you should explain why did you spank so that they will understand and they wont do it again.

I'm pretty sure that's what these kids need these days. Some of those teenagers out there have no respect for anyone, or anything. Now maybe if their dad gave them a spaking once and a while our youth wouldn't be so disrepectful.