wife hardens heart-6

[PatientMan]

I disagree with the "no spanking" crowd. I have used spanking, or other physical contact, to punish or get the attention of a belligerent child.

Granted, I have only spanked very few times in all of my years of parenting, and spanking itself is a LRT meant for a younger child. A slight pinch or a flick to the thigh are good attention getters so things don't escalate.

So are non-contact strategies that have long been forgotten, such as forcing a child to stand in a corner, or leaving a tantrum throwing toddler in the grocery aisle and moving along to the next aisle, or sitting down right next to them and throwing a tantrum right along with them to show them what they look like. And, if course, nothing works quite like an unending glare from dad (The examples are endless.)

I've used countless techniques over the years, I just don't demonize physical contact. I DO demonize physical contact when the correcting parent is not in a calm state and is acting out of anger or frustration. That's where things cross the line.

That said, if someone canes my daughter - OM for example - he won't do it twice. That correction is MY job, and the reckoning I would bring down on that person would be unforgettable.

There is a lot to bat back and forth on this topic, so I don't mean to detract, just giving my two cents.

-PM