[Trailerpark Badass]

If you have to hit your kids, you lost the authority battle long before.

I couldn't imagine Jesus beating his children, so I'll go with his example.

You seem to be implying that those of us who will not hit our children somehow don't love them enough, or at least not as much as you.

I find that incredibly offensive. If I were you I'd be asking my self how I screwed up so badly as a parent that they need to be beaten like dogs.

[Bon of Babble]

I think your response: “If you have to hit your kids, you lost the authority battle long before. And Blue Ink’s are the thread winners.

I can’t believe how a few on this thread are twisting themselves into knots to justify a step father beating a young child 1/2 his size.

I work with kids who have had the s*** beat out of them repeatedly by abusive step fathers or mother’s boyfriends. Every one is now damaged goods — either withdrawn, distrustful and fearful or, more likely, filled with incredible rage and ready to fight at the drop of a hat, do the same to other kids that they had done to them.

The physical damage (usually) heals, the psychological and emotional scars are much much worse.

[Colonel Kangaroo]

It's not for anybody else to judge you on how you raise your kids. You know your kids better than anybody else.

But I think there's a lot of judging of parents who do use corporal punishment. Corporal punishment for real offenses (and that does not include dropping a ball or inconveniencing a parent) is not child abuse. It's painful, not pleasant for the parent or child, but in some cases, for some kids, it's the best way to make a believer out of a kid and produce a happy productive adult respectful of the rights and feelings of other.