I guess it depends on how you view it. Have I spanked my kids? I dunno, I've popped their bottoms. I have never used anything other than the palm of my hand. I asked my son the other night in a hypothetical situation, if he'd rather have a spanking or spend an hour in his room, he said he'd rather have a spanking. Now, I can't stand being out somewhere & here some redneck say, "you're gonna get a whippin' (or whoopin') when we get home!" Ugh, just makes me cringe. When I was growing up my mom used a belt - let me tell you - That sucks!!! Am I messed up in anyway from that?? No, but I won't use a belt on my kids.
Once in a
Walmart parking lot when DD was 3, my hands were full & I told DS to hold onto my coat & he hold DD hand. Right in the middle of Walmart Christmas traffic DD screamed, "I don't want to hold his hand" & took off running into all the Walmart traffic. 2 cars had to slam on breaks to prevent hitting her. I left the full cart & what I was carrying in the middle of the roadway, grabbed her and popped her good. Now, is this wrong? 3 pops on the bottom or let her run out & get hit by a car? This was shortly after a woman was videod "abusing" her child in a mall parking lot. I called DH & told him that I'd probably make the 6:00 news for what I did.

Now, is DD "messed up" from this? I don't think so, I don't even think she remembers it, but for some reason she does know without being told that she MUST hold someone's hand while in a parking lot.
DH has a cousin who firmly doesn't believe in spanking, yet her 7 year old son who is full of both, self-esteem & disrespect will hit HER in the face, stomach, arm, wherever he can. His punishment - Time out. Well apparently that's not working.
