Smacking children

Farzanah

NSPCC Spokesperson There should be no justification for assaulting a child and the Government urgently needs to change the Law so children in England have the same protection as those in other parts of the UK
Also this The international evidence could not be any clearer - physical punishment has the potential to damage children and carried the risk of escalation into physical abuse. Professor Sir Michael Marmot UCL.

The key element here is 'assault.' Most parents of my generation smacked their children. It was a far cry from assault and in the vast majority of cases, never risked degenerating into 'physical abuse.'
To be honest, I think today's generation of 'gentle hands, darling' after their child has taken a swat at another youngster or kicked at mum because she hasn't complied immediately to his wishes should wait until they have successfully brought up their own children before wading in with their 'all people who smacked their children are monsters.'

NSPCC Spokesperson There should be no justification for assaulting a child and the Government urgently needs to change the Law so children in England have the same protection as those in other parts of the UK
Also this The international evidence could not be any clearer - physical punishment has the potential to damage children and carried the risk of escalation into physical abuse. Professor Sir Michael Marmot UCL.

Well the bible also sold off children into marriage so do people pick and choose to suit them or you following it all as it should be? Because there is a lot of fun quotes that would make a lot recoil that can easily be found.

Why on earth would anyone base childcare on a collection of fairy tales called the "bible"Life has moved on in 2000 years ,living by standards from then is insanity .Howfar would you take this "discipline"? An EYE FOR AN EYE?
Hitting a child any child is wrong wrapping it up in religion is just as bad

That doesn't explain the line

Sorry I am not a Christian so I can't get on board with teachings like "Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them." because almost everyone would agree that hitting a child with an implement is wrong these days.

I don't need smacking to teach my children right from wrong.

VioletSky "where the line is ". The Bible quote says "love their child" and "careful to discipline" so a balance. The opposite of not disciplining at all is neglect. Children need boundaries. It makes them feel secure, know they're loved. When I was very naughty as a child I would get a smack. Not a beating, a smack. Momentarily unpleasant but I was in no doubt mum was in charge and she was looking after me. Not a problem. But a child being beaten by a parent who is simply taking their frustrations out is abuse.

OK, Thank you

Now I’m making more mistakes ?. I didn’t think it changed the meaning.

VioletSky

DiscoDancer why have you taken part of my sentence and used it out of context?

The full sentence reads:

I have read every comment and I haven't figured out where the line is

I cannot figure out where others place the line between smacking and abuse from reading the comments

I personally feel smacking is wrong, and my line is very clear.

Sorry...I didn’t did think it changed the meaning. Just me being lazy!

DiscoDancer why have you taken part of my sentence and used it out of context?

The full sentence reads:

I have read every comment and I haven't figured out where the line is

I cannot figure out where others place the line between smacking and abuse from reading the comments

I personally feel smacking is wrong, and my line is very clear.

One of the dinner ladies at my primary school made me eat date sponge pudding. I spent the rest of the lunch break wretching. I can still see her now in my mind.

Agree HolySox. The Bible is clear on these things. Does make it easier for us.

I haven’t figured where the line is, so probably best not to do it

Absolutely agree with this. If you don’t know the difference between abuse, (which I always assumed was consistent and all consuming), and a quick smack, in my case, rarely, then it certainly is best not to do it at all

. I totally understand that, because that would show you’re out of control.

Haven't read all this thread but suffice to say to what I have read left me thinking "Did I grow up on a different planet." So many Grans claiming that 'no smacking' was the order of the day. I disagree with this view. Most parents 'smacked' until this became a contentious issue fairly recently (last 20 years?)
As a Christian we take advice from the Bible "the one who loves their chikdren is careful to disciplne them." As parents we have authority over our children which makes it our responsibility to teach them right and wrong. We shouldn't be 'negotiating' as we are not equals. We used various forms of discipline including an occasional smack when warranted just as our parents did with us. Did us good and of the mind that there are now a lot of unruly, lost children around in today's negotiate regime.

Smacking counts as abuse and is unacceptable. Any adult actions that damage children are abuse and should be considered unacceptable.

I feel sad that people were smacked

I also feel sad that people were abused

I have read every comment and I haven't figured out where the line is

Which is probably why its best not to do it at all these days

I never smacked my children either . It's barbaric and shows that you have lost. It's totally unnecessary . My children never played up in a supermarket or when out . It takes more effort and you need to engage with them .

To be honest....according to my daughter, we would all have got it wrong. As now, any form of correction is looked down upon, not just smacking, which we’ve all been fixated on.

So no smacking....obviously, no time out, no raising of voice. Absolutely no trying to get children to eat, and the idea of not speaking to your child for days, as one poster experienced, is horrific. It’s all about negotiation, even with a one year old!

I now realise I was abused, so was my husband, and everyone I know. Our whole generation most likely, and now our children are the next abused generation.

I now can’t feel sad for abused people, because we were all among them, me and people I know I mean.

Perspective is what this needs, before we all sink into depression.

Well the honesty of it made me chuckle, a very brave posting in the midst of this discussion

I've heard my eldest say ' You behave yourself or Nanny will be after you! It works because they don't know what I might do.

Sorry, but I find that quite shocking, not amusing!

MickyD I totally agree with you.

Ps to previous post. My mother used to smack me and a teacher I had used to hit my legs with a ruler. My father once beat me on my mother’s instruction because I’d been out with an older boy when I was 14.I don’t think either of us ever got over it. He was upset with me but having to do that nearly killed home as he was a sweet and gentle man. Violence of any type and severity affects both parties involved with it.

I’m quite shocked by how many of you think a smack is acceptable. A smack how ever hard, is violence. ‘The occasional smack’ is fine?No it’s definitely not. Ever. Please don’t try to convince yourselves that what you did was acceptable by saying “it never did them any harm”. At the time, it definitely did.

I used to smack mine occasionally and I wish so much that I hadn’t- I think it hurt me more than it did them. My children would never dream of laying a hand on on my grandchildren and I admire the ways they discipline them. I feel ashamed of smacking mine even though it wasn’t often and wish I’d had advice on how to administer discipline in a more constructive way. It seems unthinkable to me now that parents would be violent towards their small and vulnerable children

I saw someone yelling and swearing at their children when in town this was far worse than the occasional smack it made me feel I'll.