New Toronto Public Health Ads

[mamax2]

Has anyone seen the new public health ads about spanking your children? What does everyone think of them?

 

[drag n' fly]

Have a magical day!

 

[runner26.2]

Were the ads in favour of ... or opposed

 

[Cass]

lol is this like canada's food guide and you should have 6 - 8 spanks a day?

 

[tone.def]

Have a magical day!

 

[mamax2]

Just wondering what everyone thought. They're airing on CityTv. They say "Spanking hurts more than you think. Parenting is hard, but it shouldn't hurt." I'm not asking what people think about spanking, I'm asking what they think of the ads. I know it's an extremely contraversial issue, but should it be a public health issue? Not to but I was just a little surprised when I saw it.

 

[Cass]

I haven't see the ads, yet.

 

[Scratch42]

Another Waste of Taxpayer's Money!



j

 

[mamax2]

Has anyone but me seen these ads? Because to be honest, I found them to be a little disturbing.

 

[cabmom]

I only just caught it briefly on city today and only because I read it here. I'll pay attention to try to catch the whole commercial.

M.

 

[tink&cinderella]

I don't like my kids to see them because we don't spank in our home and I limit their exposure to violence - that includes commercials.

I however agree with the message - spanking doesn't teach the children anything.

Most parents aren't thinking while they are in the middle of a spanking - let me see if I spank the children I am teaching them not to do something again, they spank/hit because they are angry and frustrated with the child's behaviour - often they hit too hard, leaving a mark or they use an object. Most parents don't want to hurt their children but accidentally cross the line from discipline to abuse because they hit when they are angry and loose control of how hard they hit.

Spanking is not against the law - the problem lies in that the line from discipline to abuse is a fine one and crossed easily - if you leave a mark you have crossed the line - even a red mark crosses the line.

If you use an object to spank it is no longer considered discipline, but rather assault with a weapon under the criminal code - that includes a belt, slipper, stick, pencil or anything else that is picked up and held in your hand.

IMHO spanking teaches a child that they can hit when they are older, it also teaches children fear of their parents and you want your child to come to you if they have gotten into difficulty not to be afraid of you.

I wonder if Public Health is becoming involved with this type of ad because children who are abused or spanked can suffer emotional difficulties which can affect their learning and can affect what kind of parent they are going to be. It is a matter of public education and public education.

Tink&cinderella

 

[mamax2]

I don't like my kids to see them because we don't spank in our home and I limit their exposure to violence - that includes commercials.

Actually, the two commercials show a cartoon flower starting to bloom, and then a pair of sicssors comes and cuts the bloom off. The other is a balloon inflating, and then it is popped. I wouldn't really consider them violent, personally.

I agree with you to some point, but my concern was actually about the fact that the government is airing a commerical like that. Spanking itself is not against the law, and it is a personal decision. (Obviously, this does not include parents who physically abuse their kids. "Spanking" to me has always meant an open handed swat to the bottom.) Besides the fact that any form of discipline can go too far.

Just to clarify, for future posters who may comment on my little shpeal here, I'm not taking a stand on whether or not parents should or should not spank their children. It is a PERSONAL DECISION and I am just not going to open that can of worms. But with that being said, with the spanking issue becoming so public, where does it end?

I heard a very scarey story the other day. In Michigan, where it is illegal for parents to spank their children, a mother in a grocery store, was trying to tell her daughter to behave, and the kid wasn't listening. So the mother, took the girls chin in her hand, and turned her face toward her (the mother) to get her to listen to what she was saying, and someone in the store called the police.

Anyway, I was just a little mentally disturbed by the ad, and it's been bothering me for days ever since the first time I saw them, so I felt I needed to get it out.

Am I too much??? I hope not. That really wasn't my intention.

 

[Cass]

My mom used to chase us with her slipper if we were bad, she is a little scottish lady - 90 pounds soaking wet but man that slipper stung. We laugh about it now, actually we laughed about it then too "the slipper' insert scary music here.

I don't have a problem with giving an out of control kid a swat on the bottom to get their attention for discussion. I do have a problem with telling a kid they are going to be spanked as a threat over and over, saying their dad will spank them when he gets home. Making it like psychological torture - it's even worse than the actual spanking.

We had the 'strap' at school when I was a kid. Never happened to me but I recall kids in the class being called down for it. That was just insane and should have never happened IMO

 

[mamax2]

We had the 'strap' at school when I was a kid. Never happened to me but I recall kids in the class being called down for it. That was just insane and should have never happened IMO

I agree with both you and tink&cinderella on that account. Using the belt, or strap, or anything else should be considered assault. Especially on a child.

Funny you should mention "the slipper", my mom is a small german (ja voy!!) and she used to chase us around the house too. Only it was with a wooden spoon. Fortunatly for us, we could out run her. That does not mean we did not get the occasional whack from time to time, but I will be the first one to admit, we deserved it.

 

[Cass]

Oh yah, the wooden spoon!! lol

 

[mamax2]

*bump*

 

[belle1627]

I don't like my kids to see them because we don't spank in our home and I limit their exposure to violence - that includes commercials.

I however agree with the message - spanking doesn't teach the children anything.

Most parents aren't thinking while they are in the middle of a spanking - let me see if I spank the children I am teaching them not to do something again, they spank/hit because they are angry and frustrated with the child's behaviour - often they hit too hard, leaving a mark or they use an object. Most parents don't want to hurt their children but accidentally cross the line from discipline to abuse because they hit when they are angry and loose control of how hard they hit.

Spanking is not against the law - the problem lies in that the line from discipline to abuse is a fine one and crossed easily - if you leave a mark you have crossed the line - even a red mark crosses the line.

If you use an object to spank it is no longer considered discipline, but rather assault with a weapon under the criminal code - that includes a belt, slipper, stick, pencil or anything else that is picked up and held in your hand.

IMHO spanking teaches a child that they can hit when they are older, it also teaches children fear of their parents and you want your child to come to you if they have gotten into difficulty not to be afraid of you.

I wonder if Public Health is becoming involved with this type of ad because children who are abused or spanked can suffer emotional difficulties which can affect their learning and can affect what kind of parent they are going to be. It is a matter of public education and public education.

Tink&cinderella

I completely agree with Tink&Cinderella. Yes, I was spanked on the bottom as a child (not very often) and turned out great (I might add) but I decided that I would not spank my children. I also have worked in the social service field for many years and have seen the affects of abuse. I am not saying that smacking a child on the behind is abuse, however, even the parents who have restraint and good parenting skills can become so frustrated that the line gets crossed so what about the parents that have no support, limited skills? I have not seen the ads so I cannot comment on that, I think they are promoting awareness, knowing your limits. I just think it is hypicritical for me to teach my children not to hit, if I hit them. As far as I am concerned, hitting is hitting.

 

[TreesyB]

Actually, the two commercials show a cartoon flower starting to bloom, and then a pair of sicssors comes and cuts the bloom off. The other is a balloon inflating, and then it is popped. I wouldn't really consider them violent, personally.

I agree with you to some point, but my concern was actually about the fact that the government is airing a commerical like that. Spanking itself is not against the law, and it is a personal decision. (Obviously, this does not include parents who physically abuse their kids. "Spanking" to me has always meant an open handed swat to the bottom.) Besides the fact that any form of discipline can go too far.

I think the main problem with the commercials (or PSA's) is that they depict the children as just happy go-lucky, merrily going along their way, when all of a sudden they get spanked!

My thought is that kids are rarely running merrily when a parent ends up spanking, except for instances of abuse. And then if it's abuse, do you really think a TV ad would do anything about?