To Smack Or Not To Smack

In the Herald Sun on Monday Sept 29th 2008, Robyn Riley wrote
an article called "The Caring Smack."

She states the case of a grandmother who smacked the bottom of
a child in her care who went down a drainpipe. She has now
lost custody of the grandchildren in her care. It seems the
"NSW Dept of Community Services thinks children would be better
in foster care than with a family member who smacks the bottoms
of naughty children."

She asks the question "Has the world gone mad or am I missing
something here?"

In answer to her question YES the world has gone mad.

As she states about an altercation between her children "I heard
myself shouting at the top of my voice" and "thats all we can do,
isn't it. Shout like a maniac until someone hopefully listens."

Gone are the days when it was "Spare the rod and spoil the child."
Personally I think 'sparing the rod' is the reason why our crime
rate is on the increase. Children learn there is no consequence
to their actions and thus keep up their anti social behaviour.

Parents are aware of what 'abuse is' and it is NOT a smack to a
well padded bottom or a tap on the back of a hand, it is where a
strap, belt, strop or worse is used on a child causing severe
brusing and even broken bones.

Joe Tucci get some perspective and stop the push for a national ban
on smacking.

As far as I can see smacking has not produced violence in my children.
This year both Donald and Meg received Best and Fairest for their
sporting activities and if ever there is a venue for 'allowable
violence' it is in sports!!

Whenever I looked after my oldest grandaughter Kirsten I smacked her
on the bottom or hand when she did wrong. It was always accompanied
by the stern look and shake of the head WITH the reason why she was
being punished in a firm voice. She is 10 now and I just have to use
the firm voice and look, for her to burst into tears as she then knows
she is out of favour for doing the wrong thing.

Training a child is very similar to training a puppy!!!