The truth is, I was really sure that some spanking was necessary. I've seen kids who are really "reasoned with" and in the short run, I didn't like those kids much or their behavior. But in the long run, it really seems to even out a lot; some spanked kids turn out to be punks, and so do some "reasoned with" kids, and many of the kids I thought were lost causes ended up being mature, respectful adults after all. In the end, most people will learn what behaviors aren't acceptable, and avoid those behaviors simply because that's in the nature of well-developed social animals.
I found the 5-to-0 terror response to be very useful. Because if my kid is running toward an unseen threat (a loose dog or a fast truck or whatever), I don't what to have to convince him that it's the wrong thing. For MY OWN SAKE, I wanted to have something so perfectly and absolutely effective that it could save a life. Otherwise, I felt I would have to keep the kids on a shorter leash, and I felt that a couple spankings early on was worth the sense that I could shut down danger, fast.
I found the 5-to-0 terror response to be very useful. Because if my kid is running toward an unseen threat (a loose dog or a fast truck or whatever), I don't what to have to convince him that it's the wrong thing. For MY OWN SAKE, I wanted to have something so perfectly and absolutely effective that it could save a life. Otherwise, I felt I would have to keep the kids on a shorter leash, and I felt that a couple spankings early on was worth the sense that I could shut down danger, fast.
