What are your thoughts on spanking a child?

1. 75

   merej99posted 10 years ago

   What are your thoughts on spanking a child?
   
   Is corporal punishment acceptable or do you consider it abuse?  Is there an age limit to spanking?  And were you spanked as a child?  Does your past experience influence your answer?

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2. 60

   Mahfoudh Muhammedposted 10 years ago

   First of all, I have no past experience, I'm seventeen.
   However, I can answer you on a religious basis. The man that we consider a prophet have never beaten a child, have never yelled at anyone or blamed them for anything no matter how guilty they were.
   Kids should be raised with kindness and wisedom. When a kid lies for example, never force them to admit their lies, that is the worst you can do. You should encourage them on being true and honest in all cases.
   After all you're their parent, if you don't treat them right, who will?

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3. 70

   Rev. Akinsposted 10 years ago

   In our house we use spanking as one of the more extreme consequences. For the most part, the child has been warned about their behavior, put in time out (and we found the best way is 1 minute per year of child, so obviously a 3 year old would be in time out for 3 minutes) and then if they continue to misbehave in the EXACT SAME WAY that is when they are spanked. Again, we also give them one spanking per year of child, which pretty much ends after age 4. I have not spanked my 8 year old in several years and it has been over a year since I spanked my almost 4 year old. The key to all discipline is to be consistent and never threaten. If you say you are going to do something, do it, so be VERY careful what you say as a consequence for your child. Also, I never, NEVER, spank in anger or heated emotion, it is simply a consequence.
   Our kids behave very well because they know that consequences will follow bad behavior immediately and consistently.

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4. 59

   duffsmomposted 10 years ago

   We raised two children without spanking and no, I am not a fan of spanking children. I can't speak to other parents experiences but it worked for us.
   
   The idea of causing a child physical pain to make a point or punish bothers me.  If it worked, it would only need to be done once.
   
   I was spanked on rare occasion as s child, very young.  My husband was abused as a child by his mother and that influenced our decision not to spank.
   
   i don't believe it is abuse if applied as Rev. Akins writes. I do believe not all parents are as sensible as he is and it can lend itself easily to abuse.

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5. 69

   Hendrikaposted 10 years ago

   I am totally opposed to it. When my children grew up it was still a very common and accepted way of discipline, but I have seen in years to come when I watched that same children and they did not turn out any better than our kids that were never spanked.
   
   They may behave better at home in the short term because of the unpleasant consequences, but they did not learn any important life lessons. For that your example is far better.
   
   I see people coming out of households were they were spanked making a total mess of life and throwing everything overboard and then again I see people like ours making a total success of life choosing to serve the Lord and bring up their children with the same care, love and standards without beating it into them.

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