If you ask me, there is a big difference between spanking your child and whipping them. When I was a kid, my Mother had no problem at all pulling out a belt or whatever else she deemed appropriate to light us on fire (LOL).
Did she sometimes go a little overboard? In my opinion, yes – but that was the way it was in those days.
After I became a mother myself, I made the decision to use other means to discipline my child. To be honest, I was very lucky with my daughter and she rarely misbehaved, but there were a few times that I had to give her “the look.” You know that look that your mom would give you to let you know that you had better sit down somewhere!
The few times that my daughter did misbehave, I could usually sit her down and explain to her that her behavior was unacceptable and why and that would do the trick. Other times, I could threaten her with “time out” and that would be it. She would run off to her room in tears because she felt that she had disappointed me.
While I do agree that spanking or whipping may be appropriate in some cases, especially when it comes to boys (who, let’s just face it, are sometimes a little bit more rambunctious), I feel that talking to your child is more effective than using physical punishment. To me if you bring yourself down to the child’s eye level and speak in a clear and decisive tone, explaining what the offense was and why it is inappropriate behavior, the effects are much longer lasting than spanking. It is my belief that spanking or whipping does not necessarily ward off bad behavior but instead only places fear in your child. I have heard some parents say that they want their children to be afraid of them but to me that is a crazy notion. I would much rather be respected than feared.
Having a specific area of your home deemed as the “time out” spot is also another great tool for discipline. Once an offense occurs the child should immediately be told what the offense was, why it was wrong, and placed into “time out” for an appropriate amount of time. Taking privileges and treats such as cell phones, tablets, and videogames is also a great behavior modifier.
There have also been some studies that show that children that were spanked or whipped became violent adults. I’m not so sure that I believe that either because although some violent behavior is learned, some people are just born with a violent streak in them.
Let me be clear, everyone has the right to raise and discipline their children the way they see fit but I am just offering an alternative way of thinking. Which is better: To have your child behave because you have taught them right from wrong or because they fear what you may do to them?
For me the choice is clear but which do you prefer?
