You’re Gonna Spank Him? Really?

A friend of mine has a skinny seven  year old son who got in trouble for hitting another seven year old in the back. The teacher gave the slugging little boy a frowny face and no recess. There were lots of tears.

Then dad found out, dad who has an advanced degree in education, and his immediate reaction was something like “I’m gonna wear his butt out. He won’t be able to sit down for a week.”

I’m writing this because a lot of you in your 20’s have babies or will have babies in the near future so I want you to think about spanking now.  While there’s still time.  If there’s a dad out there who has been “wearing their kids butt” out for years…it’s probably too late for him or her to change.

So here’s the 1st problem.  The child is in trouble for hitting, because hitting is bad, right? So the dad is gonna hit his 50 pound son, repeatedly, as punishment. Dad, you are a dumb ass and can you say “mixed message”?

2ndproblem…If my husband hits or spanks or slaps me I can have him arrested. If I hit my grown-up friend who weighs roughly the same as I do, she can have me arrested. But if parents to spank or even slap their child, who is just a fraction of their size, and doesn’t stand  a chance of defending herself, well that’s ok.

I cannot imagine when it’s ok for a 200 pound man to strike a 50 pound child.

I have four amazing kids and they have screwed up plenty. And, in response I have handed out some major punishments but I think Mary is the only one who ever got a “spanking.”  She was three and Jack was four. Jack and I were standing on a pier, twenty feet above the ocean watching a school of barracuda. Mary pushed Jack in then laughed and laughed.  I went in after him, fully dressed, dragged him up the ladder then gave Mary a spanking in front of 50 people.

Spanking is lazy.  As a parent you should be able to think the situation through and figure out a more effective way of punishing your child.   Once when we went through a fast food drive food and got happy meals the kids instantly started whining because it was an old toy. 

“Oh no,” I said, “hand me those Happy Meals.”   They passed the boxes up to me, thinking I was going back to McDonald’s. Instead, I rolled down the window and threw the entire mess out on the street.  They never whined about Happy Meal Toys again.  (yes, I did go back pick them up and put them in a real garbage can)

I could continue on this topic, I have lots more reasons you shouldn’t spank your children but I’ll stop now. 

I know I’m not a super mom and I don’t have all the answers but I do know there are better ways. All you have to do is think aobut it.

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