Would you "smack" your child?

[Mummy2aStar]

Hey,

My DD is a minx.. So when she plays up, well she plays up! Now for discipline, we have the naughty step, which most of the time works well. But after a tantrum, and a rather large tantrum last weekend, someone close to me said " that's nothing a good slap wouldn't fix" my reaction to this was are you mad? I do have to say though, that I was brought up in s household that if we played up, we were smacked, and i knew I didn't want to play my mum up and always remembered my manners because I knew what would happen if I wasn't good etc.


So is smacking the right way to go when they are really naughty?Do smacked children make better behaved children? Or can they be just as good without such a hard discipline?

Just for the record, I don't think any less of people who do actually smack children or don't, it's your choice.I'm just asking if it makes a difference.

 

[polo_princess]

I think it all depends on the child tbh, each child responds to different forms of punishment in a different way

I would say though that you should really exhaust "less harsh" punishments first, time out, naughty step etc, etc

If all fails, lock them in the shed with bread and water ... tried and tested method

 

[Mummy2aStar]

You tried bread and water?! In a shed?! How did that go?

 

[Lightworker]

In Victorian times they also made them wear their coats and hung them via their coats on a hook till they behaved. Have you watched Malcolm in the Middle and seen what punishments the mom hands out like lying under the bed, kneeling with their hands up etc

 

[Lightworker]

In answer to the question, no for smacking, i think it only breeds either fear, violence or a combination of both. Plus if you use smacking, if your DD is anything like mine, she will push and push and you will have to smack harder and harder till you eventually do some serious damage. I have been pushed to my limits and I understand the temptation, but no.

 

[polo_princess]

In answer to the question, no for smacking, i think it only breeds either fear, violence or a combination of both. Plus if you use smacking, if your DD is anything like mine, she will push and push and you will have to smack harder and harder till you eventually do some serious damage. I have been pushed to my limits and I understand the temptation, but no.

See, thats kinda what i was trying to get at. Obviously your LO doesnt respond to smacking, so for you its a pointless exercise.

Im a firm believe in finding a punishment that has optimum effect based on your childs personailty

 

[BunnyFace]

I personally wouldnt use smacking as a punishment or any other kind of physical punishment as i think it just makes things work. If it does make LO behave then i personally think its from fear. And i wouldnt want my child to be scared of me. Iykwim?
I was abused by my father as a child, slightly different from what you're asking i know but it was horrible being scared of a parent.
If the naughty step works most of the time i'd stick with that if it was me

 

[polo_princess]

Putting her in the shed went really well, when i let her back in the next day, she was so well behaved

 

[LoraLoo]

Nope, don't smack and never would. As a child I was smacked when I was naughty, and I had no respect for my mum for it.
I dont think theres really a right or wrong, my eldest daughter is so well behaved, but my boy is another story, and they've both bee disciplined in the same way. But no, smacking is not for me personally xx

 

[Dragonfly]

I personally wouldnt use smacking as a punishment or any other kind of physical punishment as i think it just makes things work. If it does make LO behave then i personally think its from fear. And i wouldnt want my child to be scared of me.

ditto, or smack me back. I cant teach my son hitting is wrong when I do it. I have never needed to do this anyway he isnt naughty.

 

[special_kala]

I wouldnt smack my child no. It isnt something i ever feel is necessary

 

[Kitten]

I have never, and will never lay a finger on him. In my opinion all it will stand to do is teach him to be scared of me, or have no respect for me, and learn that violence is acceptable when someone does something you don't agree with or won't do what you want them to. At the end of the day it's assault, regardless of age and relationship. Would you condone a man smacking his wife because she talked back to him or didn't listen when he asked her to do something or walked off in a shop?

 

[lousielou]

I don't smack. I don't think it's ever appropriate. I wouldn't smack an adult if I thought their behaviour was inappropriate, so why a child? Reasoning with a toddler who is being difficult isn't always easy, but there are ways other than smacking IMO

 

[Claire788]

I was smacked as a child and I have alot of respect for my mum, and am neither violent or aggressive person.. My wee man is too small to really discipline yet, but not decided what methods we will try yet.

 

[Mummy2aStar]

I was smacked as a child and I have alot of respect for my mum, and am neither violent or aggressive person.. My wee man is too small to really discipline yet, but not decided what methods we will try yet.

I really appreciate your honesty xx

 

[Kimmer]

I wouldn't smack. I don't believe a child can learn that they're doing something wrong because someone hit them.

My SIL hits her kids ALL the time. So they hit eachother when they're angry. Then she hits them for hitting!

In my opinion, it teaches children that if someones doing something you don't like, you hit them until they stop.

 

[XcupcakeX]

I agree with above - the only thing smacking teaches is that violence is a way to resolve things. I was smacked as a child, my mum would take her slipper off and whack me with that! I was scared death of doing wrong, so it obviously worked but i would never lay a finger on Lola, I would never want her to be scared of me of feel the way i felt as a child. Iv never had a good relationship with my mum and i have no contact with her, I think the hitting probably played some part in it somewhere along the line.

 

[LoraLoo]

I agree with above - the only thing smacking teaches is that violence is a way to resolve things. I was smacked as a child, my mum would take her slipper off and whack me with that! I was scared death of doing wrong, so it obviously worked but i would never lay a finger on Lola, I would never want her to be scared of me of feel the way i felt as a child. Iv never had a good relationship with my mum and i have no contact with her, I think the hitting probably played some part in it somewhere along the line.

My mum used to do that! I'd run and lock myself in the bathroom. I also used to lie if I had done somethoing wrong, because I knew I'd get smacked. I don't want my children to feellike they have to lie to me if they've done something wrong, I want them to know they can trust me and talk openly without fear of being hurt xxx

 

[Mummy2aStar]

I agree with above - the only thing smacking teaches is that violence is a way to resolve things. I was smacked as a child, my mum would take her slipper off and whack me with that! I was scared death of doing wrong, so it obviously worked but i would never lay a finger on Lola, I would never want her to be scared of me of feel the way i felt as a child. Iv never had a good relationship with my mum and i have no contact with her, I think the hitting probably played some part in it somewhere along the line.

Sorry to hear that x

 

[Jchihuahua]

I won't be smacking Daisy when she's older.