Smacking your children.

[Porty]

Dada can you stop dishing it out to Emily for a minute and jion in this debate?

Seriously, as a new parent (and you also BB) do you see a circumstance or a set of circumstances that would cause you to smack that lovely little being?

[Beach Babe]

*confused*

have I missed the beginning of this or something?

for me, the answer is that I hope to never smack her. And, atm, can't ever imagine doing so

[Porty]

It was a bad start to the thread. I wanted to instigate a debat on smacking and was interested in your views as new parents as well as those that are a bit longer in the tooth...

[Dadaist]

Dada can you stop dishing it out to Emily for a minute and jion in this debate?

Seriously, as a new parent (and you also BB) do you see a circumstance or a set of circumstances that would cause you to smack that lovely little being?

The only thing being dished out to Emily is alphabetti spaghetti.

[mr magnolia]

Seriously, as a parent do you see a circumstance or a set of circumstances that would cause you to smack that lovely little being?

um, yes

but not rightfully.

[Beach Babe]

have to say that my brother and I got the occasional well-deserved smacked bum and I don't think it did us any harm

*waits for posts to the contrary*


but I still don't want to ever do the smacking

[Maria]

BB I could prepare a long treatise on why I agree with you but I can't be bothered. Suffice to say I'm with you on this. What is important is that the child realises the reason for any sort of punishment and sees it as fair.

[Porty]

I think smacking has a place. Not talking about battering their pusse's in or anything like that. Thinking more of a little hand smack when they are about to prod an electric fire or something of that ilk.

[Epykat]

I think smacking has a place.

Yep, do it. Beats all this 'please don't do that darling, it makes mummy very cross' crap.

[Dadaist]

It wasn't until I saw my wain for the first time that I understood a lot of things, one of them the old phrase "this is going to hurt me a lot more than it will hurt you".

[bellybabe]

I have done the whole quick sharp tap on the hand thing in times of danger...but never actually seriously smacked my children. Aside from the absolute and utter guilt it leaves you with, it pretty much doesn't work!

But since today my eldest has been a demon (as at least one member can testify to), I have spent the day shouting, growling, grumbling, threatening, cajoling, lecturing, sighing and wondering what time I could respectably open a bottle of wine... Which, like smacking, also haven't worked. Although actually opening the wine has begun to have a slightly thawing effect on my icy demeanour.

[Epykat]

My Dad smacked me once in my whole life (for the heinous crime of going down the beach when told not to aged about 9!) and then brought me through a glass of milk and a biscuit. It obviously hurt him more than me coz I only actually remember the milk and biscuit bit and not the smack! I never did it again though so it must have worked

[rathbone]

That's interesting because he used to hit me quite regularly. What did you do to escape his wrath?

[Jamesie]

Personally I was never smacked and would never smack my children - just not my way of doing things.

I remember being at primary school and one young boy from Joppa coming to school with hand marks on his legs from where he'd been slapped at home. Yet his parents were quick enough to judge parents from Magdalene and Bingham as bad parents for the way their children were dressed and spoke. Something going on there there that I don't like.

[Epykat]

That's interesting because he used to hit me quite regularly. What did you do to escape his wrath?

Obviously I just don't have one of those faces! And I wasn't a hippy.

[Pal of Porty]

If more parents set a better example and said 'No' more consistently to their lovely offspring, then the need to smack them would rarely arise.

[Pal of Porty]

PS And I forgot to add - Never make a threat unless you intend to to carry it out.

[Porty]

PS And I forgot to add - Never make a threat unless you intend to to carry it out.

Why, what will happen to us?

[foxy]

I hated being smacked as a child and always vowed never to treat my kids that way. So far I've managed it by trying to teach them basic values, a bit of discipline, and a very scarey look and steely voice for good measure. Even scares me sometimes. Still I've got most of the teenage years still to cope with so...never say never

[Pal of Porty]

PS And I forgot to add - Never make a threat unless you intend to to carry it out.

Why, what will happen to us?

You will all end up smacking your children of course! (unless you just keep letting them get away with everything so that they grow up to become the selfish type of people that park in disabled spaces, slam doors in your face, throw litter on the ground, blow smoke in your face, go on Pop Idol thinking they can sing etc ..............)

[prombabe]

You see Rathbone you were the boy who couldnt ride a bike or swim and didnt like playing football where as I DID ALL THOSE THINGS you see I was a crawler and you were supposed to be the tough son who would go into the army etc etc and of course little miss goody 2 shoes well she had it all
Now as for smacking please will some of you get it into perspective there is a BIG difference between smacking and beating and children like rules and regulations They like to be able to tell there friends that they cant go somewhere because their mum or dad says they cant.
Just dont say they CANT do something and then let them do it, and then you wont have to smack them very often because you'll have their respect

[Porty]

Thought better of it.