To spank or not to spank?

[MTL]

Sure. If you enjoy being resented, and an abuser.

Your kids are not dogs. You can talk to them and explain why they shouldn't do things. 'Because I'll beat the shit out of you' may stop them now, but it won't teach them anything but blind obedience.

Even hitting dogs is now considered abusive and a very outdated training method, circa 1950.

I never have and never will never hit my dog.  She knows what the rules are.

[robvalue]

No way, I'd never hit my dog either, it would have to be the absolutely only way to stop more harm coming to her. And considering she's always on a lead, that's never going to happen.

She's so little I can just pick her up! If there's trouble brewing, that's what I do.

[The Grand Nudger]

It infuriates me when I hear the argument, 'Well, my parents spanked me, and it didn't do me any harm.'  Seriously?

Of COURSE it did you harm, you stupid fuck...it taught you that's it's OK to hit children!!

Full disclosure:  I have never had children and I never will.  But my parents had seven, and never struck one of us.  Ever.

Boru

I'd have to ask them how it managed to do -anything- if it didn't do any harm.  That's kind of the whole point..isn't it?  When all else fails...lean on pain avoidance and association.

[robvalue]

I can sort of get the idea that you want to give the kid a negative association with doing something wildly stupid like sticking a fork in an electric socket. Obviously I don't mean smash them with a polo mallet, but I could understand a little sharp smack.

I'm not saying I'd do that, but I could understand the thinking.

[MTL]

I'm against physical punishment. I see it as a shortcut in parenting. It only teaches fear.

Grey areas are how most things operate. My mum, when I was a kid, put my hand on the ring of the cooker (after it had had time to cool a bit) so that it hurt just enough to show a toddler that it was dangerous. I'd come dangerously close to putting my hand on it when it was full on apparently. Was this abuse or teaching of the danger in the simplest way to a creature with no real reasoning skills? I go with the latter. What I think I'm saying is that interactions and events are complex and these lines in the sand are not always helpful.

Teaching, done sanely, is not punishing.

Negligence to teach about danger, is abuse, in my opinion.

[MTL]

No way, I'd never hit my dog either, it would have to be the absolutely only way to stop more harm coming to her. And considering she's always on a lead, that's never going to happen.

She's so little I can just pick her up! If there's trouble brewing, that's what I do.

I know I'm getting off-track here, as so often happens when animals are mentioned,
but that is a huge advantage, you have there, Rob.

My dog isn't huge, she's about 45 lbs or so,
but big enough that I cannot whisk her off the ground, one-handed,
out of harm's way. 

I can of course pick her up if I have to, but it's a full two-arm job.

[The Grand Nudger]

If my dog ever did anything that I would spank for, I'd crush his skull, throw the body in a shallow pit, and piss on it for good measure.  Mostly because the only thing I spank for is shit that would hurt my kids. He seems to instinctively understand this...and so toes the line. That's the thin line separating civility and barbarism at play, for this jumped up ape. Goes like this..

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear | Murderous

..no middle ground, on that count.....so I guess you might say that my kids are getting a special exemption, when they get spanked.

[KUSA]

I consider it to be child abuse.

There is a big difference between spanking a child and abusing them. A big difference.

[Longhorn]

I consider it to be child abuse.

There is a big difference between spanking a child and abusing them. A big difference.

Which is?

[The Grand Nudger]

The difference between a red asscheeck and stitches.  That wasn't so hard, now was it?