Posted on 01/10/2006 4:33:11 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair, fresh from announcing initiatives to deal with problem parents and their unruly offspring, has admitted this morning to smacking his older children.
Blair's admission came on a BBC television question and answer session with members of the public about his "respect" measures, unveiled earlier in the day to tackle anti-social behaviour. The 52-year-old prime minister was put on the spot about his own parental discipline when the presenter asked: "Do you smack your kids? Did you?... Did it cause a problem?"
Blair, who has four children aged five to 21, replied: "No, I think, funnily enough, I'm probably different with my youngest than I was with my older ones."
Misunderstanding his reply, the presenter, Kirsty Wark, said: "What, you do smack the younger one?"
"No-no, no-no," Blair said. "It was actually the other way round but... I think, look, this smacking... I mean, I agree with what you just said, I think everybody knows the difference between smacking a kid and abusing a child.
"But I, if I can honestly say this to you -- I think the problem is when you get these really, really difficult families, it's moved a bit beyond that," he added, referring to new proposals that include a National Parenting Academy.
Smacking children has been a source of sporadic political debate in Britain over recent years.
Mild smacking is allowed under a "reasonable chastisement" defence against common assault.
But smacks that are so hard they leave marks are outlawed and punishable by up to five years in prison.
Child protection charity the NSPCC, among others, has said the legislation is flawed and physical punishment of children should be outlawed completely as it is in a number of European countries.
Responding to Blair's admission, NSPCC said: "Of course parenting can be hard work.
"But there are better and safer ways to discipline your children than physical punishment such as praising the behaviour you want to encourage, whilst ignoring the smaller problems that children soon grow out of.
"The NSPCC believes children should have the same legal protection from being hit as adults do."
Parents' rights campaigners argue children suffer if parents fail to discipline their children properly.
During discussions on the law in 2004, Blair's spokesman was quoted as saying the Prime Minister did not support an outright ban on smacking.
The big question is how children are supposed to grow up to be decent adults without their parents instilling discipline or laying down parameters.
"I think everybody knows the difference between smacking a kid and abusing a child."
God bless Blair. He'll pay for this, most likely. He certainly would in the US. Just wait til some FReepers come by. I believe in spanking, but here in the US, as I understand child rearing laws, face smacking is a criminal act. But frankly, better a smack than no true punishment.
I think Blair's reached a point where he wants to stand up for truth, and pxss on them if they don't approve of the truth.
Can a nation of push-chair pushers, who ask, "darling, whats wrong" of their brats as they take you out below the knees, with aforementioned push-chairs really be worthy of serious consideration? I think not!
Maybe he could just "happy-slap" them, instead? That's OK in GB, isn't it?
"Shadow Dancer, cell number 3 please."
When he first ran for PM I think I remember him saying he took a belt to his kids once or twice.
And I'd do it too if it worked to control unacceptable behavior.
What my kids hate, and what works like a charm, is Time Out. When they cross the line they go into the time out chair in the dull and boring room until the timer goes off. Then they come out and tell everyone why they were in time out.
We've been doing it since they were tiny kids and it works. They hate it, but they respect it and it makes them change their behavior.
I hope to keep doing it until they are 40 or so.
Not west Georgia. LOL
"I'll put another crack in that butt!"
The heart of a child is full of iniquity. You must drive it from him with the rod of correction.
I remember years ago, there was a picture in the paper of Princess Diana whacking Prince William on the "bum" for acting up (he was maybe 4) and oh jeez every child expert was on her case!
I think every kid is different. If you give my son a dirty look or raise your voice, he gets very upset and stops whatever he's doing.
When I spanked one of my daughters (with brain damage and severe speech problems), it just made matters worse. Time outs also don't work with her. The only thing that works is encouragement. If she has a goal, she'll work for it. At school, she has perfect behavior because she'll get a pizza party if she doesn't misbehave for a month. At home, I have to be creative to get her to behave. For example right now, if she goes to bed at night well, she gets to play on her Nintendo DS the next day after she finishes her homework.
She used to be a little terror because she couldn't talk (at 5), and she would get so frustrated. She also gets overly tired because of the brain damage, and has meltdowns based on that. She's a challenge. At least these days, she is highly motivated by material objects. She is also very goal oriented about her life in general. At 9, she knows she wants to go to college, and she is figuring that she has to work hard at school to get to college.
"When they cross the line they go into the time out chair in the dull and boring room until the timer goes off."
Kool. I guess you give them a good one if they break the rules? That stuff works fine unless there's no discipline based on pain as the foundation. Police officers need guns. And parents need to spank.
Charles Barkley needs to be put in charge of Britian's department for the destruction of political correctness.
"Geez, is the West really this wussified?"
Yes.
And...soo....
If the butt ain't red you failed to get your message across.
By "smacking" are they referring to what we in the U.S. call spanking?
good for Blair!!! I would admit it with conviction too!! A good common sense, " smack" would help a lot of our children here in the USA too!!!!
A "smack" is usually just one hit to the appropriate part of the anatomy.
That really hasn't been my experience with our three kids.
I'm not opposed to it, not philosophically unprepared, but spanking doesn't add anything to what we're doing already.
Plus, I think the time out thing will still work when my kid's 6'2'', 220 lbs. Guess we'll see.
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