Corporal Punishment

[Ovedya]

Do you believe in spaking your children? Why or why not?

[IslandRose]

Well, this question is actually past tense for me as my youngest is now 17 and getting ready to go to college this fall. But I can share my experience in this.

When my three kids were little we took some grief about spanking our children. Especially from my in-laws. But we told them we would wanted to correct attitudes while they were young so we wouldn't have to deal with them later.

We always explained exactly why we were spanking, we always tried to correct them in private, and if we could we would use an alternative punishment such as losing privileges. But sometimes if you can't hear you must feel.

By the time all my children were about 8 or 9, we no longer had to spank them. They knew that when we spoke, we meant business. Our kids are not perfect, or robots. They are normal young people. But they have self control and realize there are consequences for bad behavior. My elder daughter graduated from a Christian college and is now married to a young preacher. My son is in a Christian college, seeking God's will in his life.

All three of my children have thanked me for how I raised them (usually when they've seen kids acting up in public...LOL)

[refugepsa91]

My little boy is now 9 and his sister is 5.....and yes they have been spanked.

Not many times mind you...and it had to be pretty serious business before they got spanked....but I agree with God-man if your children think that there are no consequences to their actions then you lose them to bad behavior.....my sister does not believe in spanking and even though I love my nephews immensley I have yet to see a worse behaved trio then those boys together...they run rough-shod all over her....they don't know the meaning of the word "NO".....all they have to do is throw a fit and they get whatever they want...she says its healthy to let children express themselves....sorry I don't agree when what they are expressing is a tantrum...

I listen to my kids....I explain to my children when they don't understand something....and I spank them when they get out of hand....which God bless them they are wonderful behaving children....after working in the public all day I come home and hug my kids and tell them they are wonderful...

Love and Blessings

[OneAccord]

Dear God-Man:

I don't know what reason you had for starting this thread, but I will tell you that this is a topic I have studied pretty thoroughly and applied and can testify to.

I also minister to younger mothers about discipline because it is a HUGE issue, and current parenting techniques are raising a nation of unruly children. The whole Ritalin epidemic is tied into this too.

If you are interested in some info and good weblinks let me know.

To answer the poll: Yes, I believe in spanking, but ONLY as a means to an end. If you apply spanking discipline properly you should hardly ever need to spank again after an initial training period.

I also believe spanking should only be used by parents that understand the principles of child-training, otherwise it doesn't really work, and can cross over quickly to abuse.

When used correctly it totally works and will give you a delight and joy in parenting that you cannot have with disrepectful children.

[Ovedya]

Have you ever read "Hints on Child Training" by Trumbull (forget his first name)?

[OneAccord]

Not familiar with that one. Is it based on Biblical teachings?

My personal favorite is called "To Train Up a Child" by Michael and Debi Pearl. They have a ministry called 'No Greater Joy' with a website by the same name.

http://www.self-help-hub.com/To_Train_Up_A...1892112000.html

Another good book is called "Shepherding Your Child's Heart".

[Ovedya]

Hints on Child Training by Henry Clay Trumbull

[OneAccord]

I just did a search on that book while you were posting and it looks pretty good from the reviews. I also edited in a link to the one I like on my previous post.

[Catsmeow]

This is what's wrong with our society now. We are in a world that refuses to be accountable. How often I've seen parents who refuse to correct their own children!

I know God has spanked me...on more than one occassion. Okay, I didn't see a giant hand from heaven come down and bopp me, but I was corrected just the same.

The hand of correction can be painful but according to Proverbs, it's the right thing to do. Unfortunately, we live in a highly permissive society. People do wrong because they can get away with it.

If children aren't shown the painful consequences of making poor choices early on, they're doomed to keep making them.

[Catsmeow]

....they don't know the meaning of the word "NO".....all they have to do is throw a fit and they get whatever they want...she says its healthy to let children express themselves....sorry I don't agree when what they are expressing is a tantrum...

I hear you. Your sister may think it's healthy to allow her children express themselves now but wait till they're teenagers. Oh, they'll express themselves quite well... just look at what happened in Illinois with the Girls Gone Wild hazing incident....

Parents are creating monsters and don't even realize it...