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Parenting

To Spank or Not to Spank

Posted on: 06-30-2008 by mudger --
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Congratulations, you’re the proud parent of a beautiful newborn child, unfortunately, it won’t be that way forever. Eventually your child will grow older and more curious, with this comes mischief. Spanking is a well deliberated issue that shows the demographics of parents who spank don’t spank plays into the role of the child and how they will handle social situations later in life. Historically, spanking has been accepted and floggings or more brutal forms of punishment were often in store for a child misbehaving. Nevertheless, in our all too politically correct world spanking is now looked upon as abuse rather than a means to discipline.

Proponents of non-spanking say that hitting a child teaches them nothing of the dangers they potentially put themselves in nor the reasons they are being spanked for. They believe a child will associate a spanking with not touching a burning stove or iron, and not actually the real reason behind it: not to get burned. Parents who disapprove of spanking also see it as a way to channel anger and hate into their child at a young age. Because a child learns from their parents, parents who spank are afraid that the children will learn to associate displease with violence rather than talking it out or explaining feelings. This is similar to how animals are trained because animals don’t differentiate between a punishment for doing something “wrong” or just the act of hitting. Parents who don’t believe in spanking also believe that eventually the child will learn to fear parents and authorities rather than accept them for what they are.

Parents who spank their children think of things much differently. To them teaching their children a lesson rather than having the “street” teach it to them is a much better alternative. Should you spank your child when he steals money or wait for him to get beat up in the streets? Would you rather your child learn not to touch a hot stove by getting a third degree burn or by an insignificant punishment? It’s a much more concise and pragmatic way of thinking about discipline and ultimately more simply and long lasting. As long as the spanking isn’t done out of hate but out of love then there shouldn’t be a problem. Learn to use spanking as a tool and not as an end to all means.

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