POLL is closed. Lets please let this sticky thread die.

[Cool-Beans]

Oh you mean the kids....

Mikeeee

La-la-la-la, I can't hear you.

 

[poohandwendy]

None of the poll options reflect my feelings about it.

We occasionally spanked the kids when they were young and my parents used the same method.

I never really looked at it like 'well, it didn't kill me', I looked at it more like 'it was effective with me'.

 

[poohandwendy]

The opinions were only things Ive heard others say.

I have honestly never heard anyone say "I look forward to spanking my children"

Discipline is not the 'looking forward to' part of parenting, for anyone I know.

 

[dreamcometrue]

I don't spank at all...I use time outs, and taking away priviliges. However, I don't judge anyone that spanks. Whatever works for you! My kids have always responded well to the above things, so there was never any need to spank! I got spanked though when I was little. Not very often, but there were times... I turned out alright...at least for the most part

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

I have another question NOT on the poll. Ive heard that its illegal to spank your children in any way if you live in CA. I'm finding mixed info on the internet. does anyone know what the new law is about?
Also, if you DO NOT spank, do you agree with the law (or any law, now or in the future) that prohibits spanking, or do you feel that decision should be left up to the parent?

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

Yes, DH and I spanked our kids until they started hitting back. I do jokingly tell them at times that they are not too old to be spanked. They answer...whatever, Mom...or...ooooooohhhhhh, I'm scared (sarcastic). They are awesome adults now.

Seriously, we refused to sit down when they were aged 2 and explain to them why they should not be naughty. We got straight to the point.

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

I have honestly never heard anyone say "I look forward to spanking my children"

Discipline is not the 'looking forward to' part of parenting, for anyone I know.

I met a guy once who enjoyed spanking his children. Abuse? Maybe. I cant say; I dont know. But that WAS his basic words.

whos fighting?

Noone yet. Hoping to keep it that way. Thats why I havent voted or showed my opinion. I'm gonna try to remain neutral on this thread.

THANKS FOR THE VOTES! WOW! This thread is getting a LOT of response!

 

[texaslover]

I made a choice not to spank DS. I did plop him on his bottom when he was little and made him face the wall in "time out". Or put him in his room for an X number of minutes, etc. He was a hard baby, and needy toddler, but turned into an incredible, well behaved kid. There were times when I would have liked to swat him but I used other methods.

I've seen too many bad kids who are spanked all the time and don't get any better. I teach and most of my most troublesome students are spanked. I just don't see where it is an effective form of discipline. It's a release for the parents but I don't know that the child uses it to learn self-control or better behavior.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I picked the first one, but I would never say it in that way, with the "NEVER EVER", "ANY" and "ONLY". That makes it sound like the writer thinks it's abusive and horrible, which I don't.

Now, dh and I don't spank, mostly because we weren't spanked as kids, so it never enters our minds as an option. We have lots of other effective methods of discipline that we prefer. But we don't look down on people who spank, either.

 

[MushyMushy]

None of the options really worked for me. I originally never ever wanted to spank my kids, but I found myself doing it. For me, I did it out of anger when I should have used other methods.

 

[autumnbaby9]

The only time I spank DD is if she is doing something that she knows not to do (we have had a conversation about it before) and could put her in danger.

 

[Amity 3]

I remember being spanked in public school by a teacher with a board. that was out of control abuse.

my parents kept a ping pong paddle they used to make us bring to them. that's abuse.

our daughter has been spanked one time, one swat by her mom.

 

[4greatboys]

A spank here is a swat on the bottom. I have spanked my kids but only in extreme circumstance (one decided it would be fun to run through a parking lot. I was yelling at him to stop and chasing him but he kept on going). I would rather have given him a swat on the butt than have him run through area's where cars and maybe next time not be so lucky.

Other than that I dont like to use physical punishment with the boys. Normally they dont need it and a time out works great.

Although I was spanked as a kid and Im not in least bit scarred by it. I do remember acting really badly before my mom spanked me and I dont doubt she had exhausted all other mean of getting me to listen

 

[DisneyCP2002]

I was only spanked once as a child and that was because I ran away. I don't have children yet but if it comes down to spanking being the only thing to get through to them I will use it but only my hand. I work in childcare right now and I have kids that are so out of control. I don't want to have my children become like that.

 

[Golf4food]

Spare the rod, spoil the child. We will spank when they deserve. There is a vast difference between a normal spanking and abuse. Abuse is wrong. A few whacks on the bottom that will only sting for a few minutes and nothing else is not abuse, but it was effective when I was growing up... Not that spanking is the only method to use, but when all else fails...

 

[minnieandme]

Spare the rod, spoil the child. We will spank when they deserve. There is a vast difference between a normal spanking and abuse. Abuse is wrong. A few whacks on the bottom that will only sting for a few minutes and nothing else is not abuse, but it was effective when I was growing up... Not that spanking is the only method to use, but when all else fails...

ITA. I got my butt whooped when I did something wrong and my kids get the same thing. With my oldest, I haven't had to use that method that often but with my youngest, he gets it the most. I try not to get to his bottom that often, but when he does something really outrageous, he gets it laid on him.

 

[Bob Slydell]

The poll should have been multiple choice, IMO. There's a couple replies on there that I agree with.

 

[KPeveler]

Spanking causes pain, pain causes fear. I will never use pain to control my child.

I have a chronic pain disorder which leaves me in crippling pain for about 80% of my life. i cannot even imagine willingly causing pain to another perosn, not when i live with it like i do.

 

[mickeyfan2]

" I look forward to spanking my children."

 

[backalleysally]

I have 3 kids, aged 13, 9 and 6. I am a spanker, and in our house a spanking means a series of swats on the bare behind with either an open hand or a ping-pong paddle. It's always done after deliberation, not as an expression of anger. But it does hurt, and they do cry. I'm aware that spanking isn't very politically correct these days, but fortunately we don't have to consult the Gallup Poll before we decide how to discipline our kids.