Should Children be Hit as a form of Punishment

[manker]

Why?

I took hit to mean that the adult would do so to cause the child pain and suffering.

I'd never do that, words are far more effective.

You stated above about tapping a child on the bottom. I think that's OK if you want to get their attention and let them know that you're serious.

In my opinion that is quite different from 'hitting' - altho' I am quite sure the raw definition of hit would encompass this.

[NikkiD]

I suppose my definition of hit is a little different then - I look at hitting as punching, which is something I would never under any circumstances do.

Oops, thanks manker, you "beat" me to it.

[Rick Phlegm]

Yes.

I plan on teaching my children the true meaning of fear.

[Cheese]

Nah, children shouldn't be hit.

But they should still be made to work in mines and to clean our chimneys. Damn freeloaders.

[Busyman]

I took hit to mean that the adult would do so to cause the child pain and suffering.

I'd never do that, words are far more effective.

You stated above about tapping a child on the bottom. I think that's OK if you want to get their attention and let them know that you're serious.

In my opinion that is quite different from 'hitting' - altho' I am quite sure the raw definition of hit would encompass this.

I suppose my definition of hit is a little different then - I look at hitting as punching, which is something I would never under any circumstances do.

Oops, thanks manker, you "beat" me to it.

Sugar coating. I get it.

When I hit my girlfriend's little girl on the hand, I am trying cause pain.

I talk to her during and afterwards. I believe it's necessary for her to know why with a pain accompaniment.

I may do the same during a public tantrum. I see children acting all willy nilly in public and their parent's talk does nothing.

Hitting has it's place as a last resort.

I prefer taking something away that they reeeeally like.
That's gets to them better on a normal basis.

[NikkiD]

Sugar coating. I get it.

When I hit my girlfriend's little girl on the hand, I am trying cause pain.

I talk to her during and afterwards. I believe it's necessary for her to know why with a pain accompaniment.

I may do the same during a public tantrum. I see children acting all willy nilly in public and their parent's talk does nothing.

Hitting has it's place as a last resort.

I prefer taking something away that they reeeeally like.
That's gets to them better on a normal basis.

I don't see that as sugar coating - there is a big difference between a spank on the butt or the hand and a punch.

I do agree that a spanking has it's place as a last resort.

I always found though, that ignoring a tantrum, even in public, was the best method to deal with it. They give up faster if they know they're getting nowhere. I never really had that problem with mine, but my aunt's kids... I love them, I really do, but her 5 year old can be a monster at times. He's the type who throws tantrums (still) on a daily basis, and ignoring it does nothing, cause he'll keep screaming for 5 hours if necessary. No, I'm not exaggerating. That is one child who could really use a spanking or two.

I also agree that taking things away for a period of time works well too.

[Rat Faced]

I haven't voted in the poll - there needs to be a better definition of "hit".

I would never, under any circumstances "hit" my child.

I would and have spanked them, generally when they are doing something that jeopardizes their safety, and only after other forms of punishment, such as standing in the corner or taking a time out have failed. It hasn't happened often.

That said, I wouldn't use anything other than my open hand to spank them.

It also has to be so rare an event that the shock of it happening at all reinforces it..

If its done too often, you'll just rear someone that believes that violence is the answer to getting their own way.

[Busyman]

I don't see that as sugar coating - there is a big difference between a spank on the butt or the hand and a punch.

I do agree that a spanking has it's place as a last resort.

I always found though, that ignoring a tantrum, even in public, was the best method to deal with it. They give up faster if they know they're getting nowhere. I never really had that problem with mine, but my aunt's kids... I love them, I really do, but her 5 year old can be a monster at times. He's the type who throws tantrums (still) on a daily basis, and ignoring it does nothing, cause he'll keep screaming for 5 hours if necessary. No, I'm not exaggerating. That is one child who could really use a spanking or two.

I also agree that taking things away for a period of time works well too.

Well it is sugar coating. It's all hitting. Period. That's all word semantics like
"he passed away", no he died.

I never ignore a tantrum. When I say tantrum, I don't mean a couple jumping up and downs. I mean something that last minutes.

I see it in public all the time. The parents don't do shit and the child keeps going.

Children like attention as long as there are no immediate consequences.
A stinging hand is an immediate consequence.
From then on, I can talk sternly and that's enough.

Set tone early and there's less HITTING later.

[Colbzta]

I was wakked with a stick at boarding school

If a teacher did that to me i would seriously floor em

[DarthInsinuate]

i'm sure there's better methods of punishing a child, but if i was a parent it would probably be my method of choice, since it was how i was raised, and it seems to have worked out fine

my dad used a bamboo cane to hit me, but never on the head or torso - i would definately draw the line of 'hitting' at anything more than a red mark

as for the resentment to authority, as 15% put it, i think i've always been stubborn, which is what got me hit in the first place