Should you smack your children?

I'd smack my children if they really overstepped the mark. We've all been smacked ourselves, and I believe that it sometimes can teach a child not to go too far. But as Sazerac says, this would only be as a last resort. I hate violence but I think it can have a beneficial effect in the right circumstances. Sometimes children don't realize they can take an inch but not a mile.

[ 05-16-2002, 11:51 AM: Message edited by: Arledrian ]

[Catalina]

@MagiK: What if someone else smacks your child? A school-teacher, neighbour etc, with the same believe and intensions as yourself. Is that then wrong?

[johnny]

Originally posted by Melusine: quote: I don't know how y'all would react, but before i would place him in some home for mentally disturbed kids, i would surely kick the living shit out of him. Rather that than i would let anything happen to my wife or myself

I take it you don't have kids?
And no, I don't have kids either, but at least I can see what's wrong with your picture there.[/QUOTE]no, i don't have kids, but i think that is what my reaction would be. But then again, since i don't have kids myself i guess i wouldn't know

Originally posted by Melusine: quote: I don't know how y'all would react, but before i would place him in some home for mentally disturbed kids, i would surely kick the living shit out of him. Rather that than i would let anything happen to my wife or myself

I take it you don't have kids?
And no, I don't have kids either, but at least I can see what's wrong with your picture there.[/QUOTE]Im not in favor of abusing children (there is a difference between using physical punishment and abusing them) and I am not infavor of correcting the kids while you are still angry, but once the kid hits puberty and the insanity that it can cause, there ARE occasions when violence may be necessary for self defense. Any teen who for example were to hit their mother should except to have the snot smacked out of him or her. Of course this is usually discussed with the kid when he first starts exhibiting pubescent temperments.

[johnny]

Originally posted by Catalina: And the solution to this is to beat the living shit out of this boy? Uhm, nope!

no, you know what, i would wait until the next morning and buy him something cool from toys 'r us and forget about the whole thing !!! Wake up dude

[AzureWolf]

Originally posted by MagiK: I will also say that anyone who does not have children or if you are still a minor yourself, your opinion on this whole issue is useless. Untill you personally are responsible for bringing a life into this world and ensuring they are able to survive and flourish long after you are gone, you really don't have a clue. If you are a minor and have brought a child into the world, that just indicates that you do not have the wisdom to be raising a child in the first place.

I would like to think that my opinion is worth something. My sister I have practically raised her as if I were her father since she was born as her real father went back to America to absolve himself of responsibility to her. It may not be as valid maybe as a fathers but none the less I have raised this child as I would my own, my mother working long hours 6 days a week didnt exactly leave her bright and full of energy to cook and take care of my sister when she was home so I got left to do a lot of that. I never ONCE had to touch a hair on her head at anytime. She is now one of the most polite well mannered children you are ever likely to meet, and I loved every minute of it. So I may be only 18 but my opinion is worth something.

[Cloudbringer]

Well, Magik, from my own experiences, I can say you are wrong about non-violent means being unsucessful. My parents didn't hit me and I learned what was and wasn't acceptable. I know a lot of families where coroporal punishment is not/was not used and the children know very well how far they can and can't go and are pretty well behaved, even the older ones, right through teen years.

I've know a few families where spanking was the 'punishment' for most bad deeds and the parents regretted it later on as their children did in fact 'love' them, but also feared them and shared personal triumphs and tragedies with other people instead of their parents.

Not all kids are the same and not all families deal with things the same way, but I can say this, I will not hit a child, mine or anyone elses. I've never had to and don't plan to start now.

[Melusine]

Originally posted by MagiK: Im not in favor of abusing children (there is a difference between using physical punishment and abusing them) and I am not infavor of correcting the kids while you are still angry, but once the kid hits puberty and the insanity that it can cause, there ARE occasions when violence may be necessary for self defense. Any teen who for example were to hit their mother should except to have the snot smacked out of him or her. Of course this is usually discussed with the kid when he first starts exhibiting pubescent temperments.

Maybe, but in this instance we're talking an 8 year old

Originally posted by johnny: quote: Originally posted by Catalina: And the solution to this is to beat the living shit out of this boy? Uhm, nope!

no, you know what, i would wait until the next morning and buy him something cool from toys 'r us and forget about the whole thing !!! Wake up dude[/QUOTE]Grow up, that is just reading stuff into Catalina's post that isn't even there! All (s)he (? I'm assuming 'she') said is that beating the crap out of the child is wrong, and I fully agree. That is child abuse we're talking! No, I'm not saying that any form of corporeal punishment is abuse, but 'beating the living shit' out of a kid most definitely is.

And I agree with Sazerac for the rest. I can't believe you'd judge the situation so quickly, but then - maybe you know more details than I do. The way you just told the story though, there is NO evidence that this little kid tried to harm his parents (like Saz said, it could try to harm itself) and sending a kid to a mental house for this if you don't know any specifics does lead me to believe that you have no idea what it's like to have children.
Of course I'm not saying the kid should be praised (which is obvious to all others here, but since you felt you had to mention it to Catalina, I'm just covering my back against petty accusations here) - first the parents should try and find out what the matter was (do they keep big big knives lying around in the house? Did the kid try to harm itself or someone else? etc) and if it turns out the child is dangerous THEN and only then should you start to think about apporpriate punishment and other measures (such as counselling)

[Cloudbringer]

Azzie...I just want to say, GOOD FOR YOU! You're good people, despite the overlord fetish. [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/kiss.gif[/img]

[Melusine]

Originally posted by AzureWolf: I would like to think that my opinion is worth something. My sister I have practically raised her as if I were her father since she was born as her real father went back to America to absolve himself of responsibility to her. It may not be as valid maybe as a fathers but none the less I have raised this child as I would my own, my mother working long hours 6 days a week didnt exactly leave her bright and full of energy to cook and take care of my sister when she was home so I got left to do a lot of that. I never ONCE had to touch a hair on her head at anytime. She is now one of the most polite well mannered children you are ever likely to meet, and I loved every minute of it. So I may be only 18 but my opinion is worth something.

I absolutely agree, Azure! What a grossly condescending and arrogant thing to say, MagiK! [img]graemlins/1puke.gif[/img] Azure is probably not the only one who's had a part in raising a sibling, and we all have BEEN children, so we can judge about whether corporeal punishment worked in our own case or not.

Amber - I agree. The fact that nothing short of corporeal punishments worked for MagiK as a kid probably says a whole lot more about MagiK himself than about the merit of corporeal punishment.