Your Views On 'Smacking' children.

Originally posted by jessieg
Children must be taught an an early age to respect their parents, not talk back, and obey. Each child is different. Some children are more head strong and simply will do the opposite of what their parents tell them or keep doing something after they have been told not to do it.

I disagree. A child needs to be taught discipline. That's completely different than teaching them just to obey and don't talk back. That's how we get crap where soldiers shoot civilians for fun because their major told them so. And how people let the government # all over them and afraid to stand up to anything. Parents need to be able to explain WHY. Why do you think children always ask why? It's because they don't understand and they want to understand. If they ever stop asking why it's because the parents never explained it and they think it's futile to ask. If you teach them to simply obey, one of two things will happen. The child will end up being a sheep and always submitting to others no matter how extremely wrong the action, or, the child will rebel against you and do exactly the opposite of what you require be it good or bad. And saying that each child is different might be true, but it's an excuse for parents to not look at their own actions and blame the child for everything. All parents are different as well.. Children mimic the actions around them. If they do something you don't like, the first place to look is your own behavior.

Originally posted by jessieg
If a very young child is playing with something dangerous, running to the streets, running away from you and into a crowd of strangers, or doing something that puts them in danger, I think a smack might be what it takes for some children to understand they can't keep doing this.

If they are in that situation it simply means you failed as a parent in the first place.

Originally posted by jessieg
I have seen it many times in my life, how a child is misbehaving and putting himself in danger and the parents are like "No sweetie, don't do that." Then the kid just grins and keeps on doing it. Well at times like this, the parents really need the child's attention and for them to fully understand the danger. If it takes a swat to get the message then I say it is better than having a child be in more danger.

No violence does not equal permissiveness. Both are two sides of the same coin, which is avoiding reasoning with your child.

Originally posted by jessieg
Also I have seen kids that are so disrespectful to their parents that I just think I would have swatted them if it were mine.

Respect is earned, and it shouldn't be different from child to parent. Parents don't inherently deserve respect. As a child you didn't choose your parents, you're stuck with them, and as a parent, you don't own your children. It's a mutual relationship, and in relationships, respect comes from both sides, and if you disrespect your child, the same thing will happen to you.