Comments on: Parenting Poll Of The Week – Does Spanking Work?

By: patricia

patricia — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 02:22:26 +0000

Um….no! But i am of the belief of public whippings for idiots that do know better.guide and nurture.you are taking the risk of spanking a child that is delayed in nurological or cognitive growth…how barbarack is our society.

By: Alliy

Alliy — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:34:56 +0000

I say that spanking your child is ok I have seven kids girls: skyler mason alexa Lizzie boys:Carlos famon eaaston.

By: Hanna

Hanna — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:23:59 +0000

NO!
Here in Sweden spanking is forbidden by law since the 70’s (in school already in the 1940’s)
and we sure don’t have as much violence here as in other countries. We do also never had a war for like 300 years… I see a connection, do you?

Smacking your child is ABUSE.
We TALK to each other to solve problems, you don’t beat your neighbour up if you two have an issue, right?!
Why you wanna hurt your kid?
When you spank them, you teach them that violence is okay.
The child will only frighten the pain, not learn by his or her mistakes.
A child is just a small human being. Take care of it instead of trying to get the respect by beating and hurting your own flesh and blood.

By: Joel

Joel — Sat, 30 May 2009 16:46:33 +0000

Spanking absolutely works, when they’re young. I agree that it should not be done out of anger but rather as a calculated punishment for bad behavior. Spank them, put them in a place of punishment (the corner, a chair, etc..) and do not talk. Let them think about it. Talk later when they are not emotional if you feel the need to. If they put their hands in a fire, the fire will not talk to them about why it is a bad idea. It burns them. And they will have plenty of time, as it heals, to figure out that it was not something they ever want to do again. If you go too close to the bee hive you get stung. No negotiations. The fire and bees are a great lesson for us. If allow arguments and negotiations over bad behavior they will always argue and negotiate before listening. Set the rule, set the punishment, be strict and consistent and do not entertain arguments. It does not have to be spanking, but spanking definitely works.

By: Drew

Drew — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:08:31 +0000

Hey, Frustratedmom, don’t spank your children.
It sounds like there is no consistency in your routine. I recommend using Supernanny’s Naughty Step technique (timeout).Never give your daughters many warnings, just one. After that, follow that with a time-out. Tell the child why they are there and walk away. If they get up, do not say anything to them and put them back. Here is where the behavior breaker comes in — before they get up have the child apologize,and if they do not, have the child stay there for another time limit and repeat the process. I have seen Jo Frost (supernanny) use this, and eventually the child understands their actions. Anyway, be consistent, and do not spank. I do not recommend it. And, stick to your guns — YOU ARE IN CONTROL!
Good luck! I hope you find this helpful.

By: Nate

Nate — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:46:21 +0000

I was spanked frequently as a child and probably 99% of the time I deserved it. Whether or not it’s effective really depends on the child and how the spanking is administered. Some children just don’t respond to spankings, some do. Also, if you’re spanking your children because you’re angry, you’re doing it for the wrong reason. A child needs to understand that they are receiving the consequences for their actions rather than being used as a way for their parents to vent anger.

I am a better person today because of the way my parents disciplined me, and I’m very grateful to them for that.

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 04:17:28 +0000

We tried giving one swat with the hand to our 3-year-old daughter but it didn’t work. Time outs work better, and we use spanking as a backup if she comes out of her room early. Since the hand wasn’t effective we started using a ping-pong paddle which she hates. The first spanking is given through clothes, but if there’s a second spanking for the same thing we do undress her and spank bare. Using spanking sparingly has worked.

By: nfitzgerald

nfitzgerald — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:19:13 +0000

We have found with our kids that spanking is not the most effective form of discipline. In general, timeouts, the removal of toys and/or privileges, redirection, etc. tend to work better for us and our kids. I’m not anti-spanking, but I do think it should be used as a last resort and not the primary method of discipline. My sons definitely respond much better to the threat of losing a favorite toy than to getting a spanking. I do think all discipline should be consistent and administered as calmly as possible (God knows that can be hard some days :)). There is an excellent debate about spanking at http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/is-spanking-an-acceptable-form-of-discipline Experts from both sides weigh in and make some interesting points on the topic.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:01:17 +0000

Consistency, love, patience is the key to any discipline. If you are screaming at your kid to behave and aren’t taking into account the situation (they are just being kids, they are tired, hungry, etc.) no method will produce effective results. Any “spank” that is reactionary instead of disciplinary is inapropriate, but the same goes for time outs. If you are yelling at the kid to go to their room instead of investigating the situation, figuring out the cause of the misbehaviour and dealing with the issue, you are being just as ineffective. In our family we use both depending on the situation. Sometimes kids just need to chill and sometimes they need a swat.

By: stayathomemom

stayathomemom — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:15:31 +0000

I think it just needs to be consistency! I see so many parents these days giving “warning after warning after warning”. So many parents have idle threats. If you say you are going to leave if your child is misbehaving then leave! If you say they are getting a time out then do it! I do spank my children but never do it with emotion. I also never do it in public to avoid humiliation. I set expectations right 0ff the bat ie no hitting pushing, good listening etc. I believe in routine and sticking with it ie naptime, lunch time etc. Kids need to know what to expect. I spend time with my kids but I think it is also important for them to spend time occupying themselves. Life is not a big party all the time. These days parents feel they need to constantly keep there children entertained.