To Spank or Not to Spank is the Question

To spank or not to spank continues to remain a question for many. I have the pleasure of raising two wonderful boys and believe me, have been pushed to the edge of wanting to spank many of times. However, long gone are the days of hesitantly stepping outside, to pick up the branch (switch) that you were to be spanked with. Those who remember this, remember the times where teachers were allowed to use a ruler to slap your hand as a punishment for disrupting a class. This is simply unheard of in this day and age. But let's take a moment to consider and review.

For those of us who remember the day of prominent spanking with personal experience, or those of us who have heard stories from parents or their elders, were children typically not better behaved? Didn't these individuals typically grow up to be more respectful adults, better equipped to handle life's ups and downs? Are these individuals not better able to handle letdowns and make better decisions?

I continually see children running around screaming in stores, my mother and father would have never permitted such activity. I recall an experience on an airplane sitting in front of a toddler. Despite my several requests to stop kicking my seat, it continued throughout the flight. Everyone knows how uncomfortable airplane seats are to begin with, being continually kicked from behind made for a very miserable trip. At some point, I attempted to deal with the parents, and politely asked them to aid in stopping the incessant kicking, to which I was told was nothing they could do. Nothing they can do..... this was their child, their responsibility. Yet there was nothing they cold do. I was completely astounded, to say the least.

In my particular case, I have a 14 year old and a 4 year old. This in itself is not ideal, as basically have two separate "only children" with such a broad age difference. However my 14 year old is the best older brother one could ask for. But as a young child, he was steered in the right direction from a very early age. Yes, he was spanked. Now keep in mind there is a real difference, between a spanking on the behind and hitting a child. Hitting a child, especially in anger is never acceptable, but a quick swat on the behind can still work wonders. He quickly learned that he wanted to avoid that, so just the mention of it became enough to curb his bad behavior. Of course he has long since outgrown that stage, but that discipline early on has turned him into the very respectful, considerate young teenager that he is now.

Of course every situation is different, but studies even show that as long as children have love, spanking early on to teach discipline, is still effective. I know there are many parents out there that continue to avoid spanking at all costs, but I am raising my 4 year old as I did my older son, so know from my own experience in raising children that my older son is on his way to being a responsible, caring and driven young man. It saddens me to see young men such as himself, with absolutely no respect for their elders. This is becoming more and more common. The children themselves are not responsible for their upbringing, this rests entirely on the parents. Decisions we make today on how best to discipline them, will provide the foundation on the type of adult they will become.