[Aquinasfan]

In many if not most cases, I believe children can be appropriately disciplined with only modest corporal punishment. The key is to start disciplining them when they are very young and to be consistent. For an appropriately disciplined child, a firm disapproving voice from a parent is usually all that is necessary to correct misbehavior. I cannot remember my wife or me spanking any of our four kids more than once or twice in their lives, and then when they were no older than three. They don't even remember being spanked. But they are well behaved as teens and adults today, have an acute sense of right and wrong, and we have never received bad reports about their behavior from any source.

I generally agree. But I've found that I need Mr. Spanky as a last resort. It depends on the child.

[JCEccles]

It depends on the child.

You have a point. The second I read that, an image of my nephew popped into my head. The most headstrong and thrill-seeking of five children, he was the biggest challenge by far and required a LOT more corporal punishment (but he was never beaten, so far as I know). He's about 30 now and just finishing up an LLM in tax law, but there were times when his parents despaired wondering if they would get him to the age of 12 alive and in one piece.

[LibSnubber]

"But I've found that I need Mr. Spanky as a last resort. It depends on the child."

I agree with you. If I had to spank one of my children, I called the smack on their rump my "exclamation mark". The smack wasn't the message, but it drove my point home - and it worked the few times I needed to use it. I believe that if you take the lessons of "cause and effect" away from a child, you can ruin them for life.