morgan5: hi joanne everytime this topic is posted, the same thing happens. Same as you i don't agree with beating or abusing but do believe a smack on the bottom does not do any harm, provide it is not done in temper and other methods have not worked. In the Uk kids do as they want and there is no comeback.
You are a lovely lady but I have to disagree with your last statement about there being no comeback in the UK on kids that misbehave.....to wide sweeping a statement there is good and bad all over the world. Many children in th Uk are disciplined in some way or other.
Princemuncher.....gosh I would love to talk to you at a parent's evening.....I think we would agree on many things. My two are the same age as yours and yes embarrassment seems to be a great form of discipline at the moment!
Here is a few quotes from a report by Save The Children in Europe.
'Most children see smacking as an other kind of hitting and have negative feelings about their parents/adults after being physically disciplined. Children do understand they have to be told off if they misbehaved. They should be punished but say going without candy/pocket money, not allowed to play, sent to their bedrooms, missing out on a trip is more effective.
Smacking in some reinforces cycles of violent behaviour and does not build a positive relationship.
Views from a few children.
'When I am smacked it maked me feel horrible inside and I think my Mom feels horrible for having done it.'
'Bullies smack me and I don't hit them back out of fear and they hit harder just as the adults do to me.'
Save The Children says the following about smacking.
Smacking does not teach children self discipline.
It gives attention to a child's bad behaviour.
Children learn best by attention to things they do well.
There are positive alternatives to smacking.
Smacking teaches children to hurt others.
I totally agree with the poster that says society now dictates that we work long hours, have less time for our children and children are not always nurtured as we were when many off us had stay at home Mothers. In school you can pick out the children who have been in full time day care since three months old and through guilt their parents buy them all the time....we call them institutionalised children.
I personally should spend more time with my children.
In Florida we are invited to ex pat friends homes and are amazed by some (not all) of the way the local kids behave in a stranger's home. Swinging from bannisters, very loud and much to forward. Can anyone tell me if children in the US are taught to be seen and not heard and do not speak until an adult speaks to them!