In most situations, there is a better parenting option than spanking. However, in all situations, parenting is better than not parenting. If you don’t know how else to discourage a child’s misbehavior, spanking is better than ignoring bad behavior.
well said
My wife and I used time out effectively when children were young. One minute for each year old was the formula. Often they begged for a spanking because it was quicker.
As they got older and began to enjoy time outs we moved on to more creative punishment, like turning off the internet.
In my opinion, spanking, when applied as a judicious swat or two to get the child’s attention is an appropriate last option for young children. It is a major emphasis - usually employed when a question of safety is involved.
It should be rare, and never devolve into beatings.
"Proverbs 13:24 . KJ21. He that spareth his rod hateth his son, but he ... He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him early."
My buddy has 10 kids today.
Back when the first or second child was just a very young baby, just able to focus its eyes on things. The baby would see a chain or earring on mom and try to grab it. She’d give the hand a little flick and the baby would react and let go. A few more times of that and the baby stopped.
Point being. They started out early at the youngest of ages, with discipline. As the child progresses, it takes minimal discipline to steer the child in the proper direction.
I have sat in church with them. I’m in the midst of the family and barely notice the kids and my buddy will do a subtle lean forward and look at a child and that is all the warning a child needs.
The old folks call him Super Dad. (They do call his wife Super Mom also)
Their house is a house FILLED with the sounds of running feet and children screeching with delight, as one or another is being chased or tickled or something.
Never heard them yell at their kids, except to get ones attention. Other than that, they’ll raise their voice a little, to put emphasis on what they are saying, but never yelling at their child.
Some might say that a childs temperament has a lot to do with it, which is true. But, when you have tens kids, you pretty much run the gamut of personality traits. And they most certainly have.
IN the scheme of infractions of the rules by a child, there must be some limit.
In the years of my children’s lives....I have spanked them only a few times each. They knew that what they had done was so egregious that is was what I called a “capital” crime and they were spanked as punishment.
The rules of spanking were...no more than three swats to their posterior of sufficient force to cause them to think twice. Hard, but effective. Hurt me more than it hurt them.
My wife is a pleader...she pleads with them not to do X, I bark orders and there is punishment for non-compliance. Whom do they listen to? Who do they come to when they need anything or are injured? The only time they go to mom is when they are sick.
God disagrees.