Principal 'paddling' first grader for damaging computer

[daisy2013]

They weren't going to play anyway, you were heading to your car to go home.

You still put them in time out right then. Its not a difficult concept. My 3 year old understood it. But it also taught me as a parent to be mindful of her needs. She was more likely to be difficult when she was hot, thirsty, hungry, tired etc. Just like I am. So while I would discipline her, I would also make sure she had what she needed to help her calm herself or better yet prevent the behavior that causes the need for discipline.

 

[RedAngie]

I had never heard of the paddle. Here, before it was made illegal, we were caned with a birch or something similarly whippy or a ruler, either across the palm, knuckles or back of legs. Teachers were also prone to throwing wooden backed board dusters and chalk.

Nuns were notorious for using yardsticks or rubber-tipped wooden pointers as weapons. One of my nuns placed the pointer under a misbehaving child’s chin and tilted his/ her head backwards while berating him/her.

It was not uncommon for a nun, while writing on the blackboard, to suddenly turn around and throw the eraser at a kid she suspected of talking or not paying attention. Sometimes her aim was so bad that she ended up hitting the innocent goody-two-shoes girl in the next row.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I didn't HIT my children. I spanked them on their bottom. You are being ridiculous. I think I will ignore you now.

Spanking is hitting.

I mean, if your child “spanked” another child, would that be ok since it’s not “hitting”?

Young kids just don’t have the cognitive ability to distinguish that.

There is never a reason to lay a hand on a child as a means of discipline.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Yes. Because now kids have nothing to feel consequences, no God in school or society and no structure or effective discipline. As long as you balance love with discipline then there is nothing wrong with a spank. At different ages different things work. But, the fear of dad coming home and giving you a good swat keeps any kid in line.

Did you actually watch this video?

This is not "kid was deliberately disobedient so dad gives her a spank." This was done with the intention to cause pain. Not to correct behavior, to cause pain.

 

[mjkacmom]

Nuns were notorious for using yardsticks or rubber-tipped wooden pointers as weapons. One of my nuns placed the pointer under a misbehaving child’s chin and tilted his/ her head backwards while berating him/her.

It was not uncommon for a nun, while writing on the blackboard, to suddenly turn around and throw the eraser at a kid she suspected of talking or not paying attention. Sometimes her aim was so bad that she ended up hitting the innocent goody-two-shoes girl in the next row.

My fourth grade public school teacher never missed, but only threw chalk or the rubber ball at the end of her stick.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Spanking is hitting.

I mean, if your child “spanked” another child, would that be ok since it’s not “hitting”?

Young kids just don’t have the cognitive ability to distinguish that.

There is never a reason to lay a hand on a child as a means of discipline.

I am quite shocked at how out of step with the rest of the world the US is regarding corporal punishment. Some interesting company the US is keeping. I am ashamed that Wales was so late to the table, but glad that we got there eventually.

 

[MillauFr]

So refreshing to be arguing about this topic rather than Covid restrictions.....

 

[NotUrsula]

I had never heard of the paddle. Here, before it was made illegal, we were caned with a birch or something similarly whippy or a ruler, either across the palm, knuckles or back of legs. Teachers were also prone to throwing wooden backed board dusters and chalk.

US-style paddles were considered a kinder option, and adopted by schools for that reason. Although they are larger and heavier than switches; they will not flay skin. A switch can cut right through fabric AND skin. (Paddles can leave some spectacular bruises, though, and even break bones if used somewhere other than the bottom.) Back in the early 70's my HS marching band director carried a drilled paddle to practices; he was fond of using it on the backs of our legs if we didn't raise our knees high enough to suit him whilst marching; hurt like the devil if you were wearing shorts to practice.

Rulers on the palm were one of those things that you usually only saw in private schools after about the 1930's; public schools in the US usually tried to centralize corporal punishments only with administrators, who presumably had more training about it, and it usually put some time between the infraction and the punishment, with the idea of allowing tempers to cool. (Not sure how effective that was, but that was the idea.)

One of my relatives used to do the eraser thing (private school, and our erasers don't have wooden backing), but he had impeccable aim, and always threw to startle but deliberately miss. He was a legend for having eyes in the back of his head, which was achieved by checking reflections in the corners of his eyeglass lenses.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

So refreshing to be arguing about this topic rather than Covid restrictions.....

Not arguing, discussing affably. Just going back to the video to check miscreant teacher is wearing a mask.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

I am liking some posts because I appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences and thoughts, not because I like the actions/behaviours you are describing.

 

[White Cat]

The principal and her aid are under investigation. Looks like they broke the rules and will suffer some consequences....

Florida principal caught on tape paddling a 6-year-old - The Washington Post

What about the mother? She entered the country illegally. Hope she gets deported.

 

[DLgal]

I'm not saying there is a situation where the ONLY appropriate punishment is spanking. But if you try all of the other discipline methods (time outs, loss of privileges, emptying the room, etc) and they DON'T stop the poor behavior, it's possible spanking might.

One thing I can think where an immediate spank gets the point across, is you've taken your child to the park. You're heading to the car, the child gets away from you, and runs out to a busy road. Fortunately you catch them before they run out to the street. Do you punish them? How? Wait until you get home and put them in timeout? If we're talking a young child, I don't know that they'll register the punishment with the crime.


If you can point out where someone has said that, I'll agree with you.

You yell STOP as loud as you can, hopefully grab them before it turns tragic, and then sit them down and explain, very seriously, how dangerous it is to run or bike into a roadway without stopping first and looking both ways. You tell them that they can get very badly hurt or killed by doing what the kid just did, and you tell them how scared and sad that would make your whole family. Kids don't want to make their parents sad or scared. They can understand that emotion. You then tell them that you will be spending lots of time practicing safety near roads before your next outing to the park, and that they have to show you that they can be safe before you return there (or any place where this could happen). In the meantime, they will have to hold your hand anytime they are going to or from the car.

No spanking needed.

 

[DLgal]

What about the mother? She entered the country illegally. Hope she gets deported.

Since you like this idea so much, why don't you join ICE so you can gleefully deport people all day long?

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

What about the mother? She entered the country illegally. Hope she gets deported.

The mother (perhaps inadvertently) may have stopped hundreds of other children being abused, and ensured that an illegal act is punished and hopefully an abuser never allowed to work with children again. How would you recognise that ?

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

What about the mother? She entered the country illegally. Hope she gets deported.

As you've made clear. Maybe we can stay on the topic now?

 

[torene03]

What about the mother? She entered the country illegally. Hope she gets deported.

And what would you hope happens to the child when her mother is deported?

 

[sam_gordon]

You yell STOP as loud as you can, hopefully grab them before it turns tragic, and then sit them down and explain, very seriously, how dangerous it is to run or bike into a roadway without stopping first and looking both ways. You tell them that they can get very badly hurt or killed by doing what the kid just did, and you tell them how scared and sad that would make your whole family. Kids don't want to make their parents sad or scared. They can understand that emotion. You then tell them that you will be spending lots of time practicing safety near roads before your next outing to the park, and that they have to show you that they can be safe before you return there (or any place where this could happen). In the meantime, they will have to hold your hand anytime they are going to or from the car.

No spanking needed.

I knew I shouldnt have posted. My kids are going to be getting into fights every day at school and become juvenile delinquents and are doomed to a life in jail.

Or is it they're going to be doomed to a life of not trusting adults?

Or they're going to hate me their entire lives?

I've lost track.

 

[tzolkin]

I didn't HIT my children. I spanked them on their bottom. You are being ridiculous. I think I will ignore you now.

I think you are being a bit overly defensive with your cognitive dissonance/semantics arguments. Like you, I spanked two of my kids. But I am fully willing to acknowledge that I HIT them. Smacking someone with your hand is the literal definition of HITTING. You may believe that it's an appropriate form of discipline or you can believe that spanking is acceptable in certain situations and therefore not abuse, but I don't know how you can argue and say that it's not hitting.

 

[DLgal]

I am quite shocked at how out of step with the rest of the world the US is regarding corporal punishment. Some interesting company the US is keeping. I am ashamed that Wales was so late to the table, but glad that we got there eventually.

It's not the US as a whole. We have this whole "states rights" thing that allows states to pretty much make their own laws in the absence of federal laws. The states that still allow corporal punishment are all "red states" which explains a lot.

In my opinion, since all public schools receive federal funding, there SHOULD be a federal law passed that bans corporal punishment in any school that receives such funding. Private schools can make their own rules on that and parents can choose to send their kids knowing it might be a form of discipline used. No child attending a public school in the year 2021 should ever have to fear being hit by an educator. And no parent who is talking advantage of their child's right to a Free and Public Education should have to send their child to a school that may end up physically assaulting them.

 

[tzolkin]

I knew I shouldnt have posted. My kids are going to be getting into fights every day at school and become juvenile delinquents and are doomed to a life in jail.

Or is it they're going to be doomed to a life of not trusting adults?

Or they're going to hate me their entire lives?

I've lost track.

You're being hyperbolic. No one said any of those things. People were discussing situations where spanking was the ONLY effective response. You provided an example and people have suggested alternatives to demonstrate that it can't be the ONLY response in that particular situation if there were other options.