Posted on 07/06/2010 7:45:39 AM PDT by Bad~Rodeo
Laura and Todd Mansfield of Portland, Oregon, are against spanking, and have made a conscious decision as parents not to use it to discipline their two sons, 6-year-old Connor and 3-year-old Drew.
"I'm like, 'How can I do that to my child?'" Todd Mansfield told "Good Morning America." "It does hurt me more than maybe it hurts them, but beyond that, I just didn't want to do it. I knew there other ways."
The Mansfields, who host a radio program called Parenting Unplugged Radio said that after reading studies that show long-term negative effects of spanking, they started using alternative methods when the kids misbehave.
"I do think that spanking can be used as a form of abuse," Laura Mansfield said. "I do think that it can."
But Laura Mansfield's parents have a different view, and their opposing position came to a head when her parents on two occasions spanked Connor and Drew without their parents' knowledge.
The most recent case was when the boys spent a weekend at their grandparents and Drew was caught pulling up his grandmother's flowers in her garden, and both boys got spanked.
"She grabbed my 6-year-old, who at the time was holding a handful of bulbs, and spanked him," Laura Mansfield said. "She then proceeded to chase my 3-year-old and catch him and spank him as well.
The Mansfields were furious and confronted her parents.
"I think she was exhausted and desperate and didn't know what else to do," Laura Mansfield said.
Laura Mansfield's mother did not want to talk about the incident because she said it was out of character for her.
Laura Mansfield's father, Macy Wall, spanked her and her siblings growing up and said he doesn't see spanking as something detrimental.
"I guess
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Listen to Bill Cosby describe “THE BELT!” on Russel, my brother, whom I slept with.
Many people decsribe normal discipline as having been hit with a belt.
What a lot of people don’t realize is there is a difference between abuse and discipline. Children need discipline.
A GOOD SPANKING WITH A SWITCH, BELT ETC NEVER HURT ANY CHILD....dr spock was read by to many libs therefore spanking or paddling was taken out of the schools....kids learned there was no punishment for wrong doing....
i always signed the permission form for paddling my kids in scholl and let my kids know it was signed....they never had to be paddled....
to few spankings is what is wrong with kids today....
Its called “Pain Association Conditioning.” You associate an unpleasant stimulus (a blistered butt) with an undesirable behavior. It works more often than not.
We never had to spank our kids, in terms of more than two whacks. Generally the threat (followed by the reality) of one or two good whacks on the butt became sufficient.
We were fortunate in that we have a family where I (the dad) AM the authority in the home as far as the kids know ... and so do their friends. They all know I have rules, there are consequences of breaking them, and I never ‘threaten’ ... only promise. If this, then that. Questions?
It has worked well through the years.
Some kids, for whatever reason, NEED/REQUIRE more direct and severe consequences in order to shape their thinking and bend their will.
My wife grew up in fear of being asked to “go cut me your switch”. They would try to run from mom or dad while being switched ... even though mom or dad had them by the arm. I never saw it, but it sounds kinda funny and my wife certainly has no ill effects from it.
In effect, the kids rule the roost. I see this plenty whenever I’m out in a public place. It’s frankly disgusting the way some children act in public with little or no discipline from their parent(s).
I’m not saying spanking is the preferred “go to” punishment in most instances, but children have to know that discipline is going to be more than they want to cope with.
Boo hoo.... I bet those little crumb snatchers never mess with Granny’s flowers again.
The 6 year old in this article KNEW that pulling up the bulbs was wrong. That deserved a swat.
Dad's stupid statement : "It creates a fear aspect in it". That's the point! Consequences for actions.
Todd Mansfield said. "So then I'm making my decisions based on, 'Am I gonna get spanked?' I'm not trying to grow myself as a person."
What a loon!
I believe it's a reflection of the household they grow up in.
I've never had to use physical force to discipline either of my kids and we constantly get compliments from others when we're out on how well behaved they are.
We don't scream, we don't hit each other, and we recognize the need to treat each other with dignity and honesty.
Some of their friends, though, the home is a hurricane of chaos, and those kids probably do need corporal punishment.
If some of the pin-headed refugees from the 60’s that now occupy the White House had been spanked by their parents we might not be in the mess we are in now.
Spare the rod and spoil the child!
Finding this headline on FR this morning, two posts below was this article:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2547633/posts
Maybe if those parents had exercised some stricter discipline, they would have been able to account for their 12 yo child in the middle of the night, and the horrible incident would never have transpired.
I personally believe in putting the fear of God into children, and a deep respect for not violating the rules of the parents. Some kids are really easy to accomplish that with, others have a stronger will. That is the challenge of parenting, and it is not one size fits all.
And, at the end of the day, the child has to be held accountable for their actions.
Nope. I had one that was, um, strong-willed. At a very young age. He now has 2 just like him. I laugh. :-)
I think I see the problem here.
1. Your kids are little beasts
2. Grandma has shown she is capable of hitting a kid in anger.
3. You left them ALONE TOGETHER.
Well stated. My 2 young ladies are complete opposites meaning one needed alot more discipline than the other and yes, same mom, L~
Me too, one boy, one girl... boy was a HANDFUL. Daughter as so easy in comparison. There were times the son would make me break down and cry, but today he is an amazing young man.
I agree with you on that. There is a difference and some kids need more than others.
My rebellious one makes me think that God is punishing me for some of my younger indescretions but then I look at her sister and think, naaaaa, L~
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