Spanking...

Times have changed so much since I was young. I was spanked, not regularly and never in the heat of the moment, usually it was the "when your father gets home" and only after I had continued to do something and regular punshiments hadn't worked. I don't feel they changed me for the worse. I've got five children, three fully grown and two still at home. My children certainly have had a tap on the bottom a time or two. I think there is merit for both ways of doing it. Of course I'm also from the time/area where when two fellows had a major disagreement, you went out side settled it, it was over and done and then you had a beer together, times have changed.

I've always been curious though, is the whole timeout/stand in a corner thing not really a type of physical as well as emotional discipline? You are confining the child to an area or restricting movement all together (physical..stand/sit still, don't move) as well as removing interaction with others (emotional).

Dave you keep talking about humiliation or being humiliated. As someone who was spanked as a child (not often but it was used), I certainly never felt humiliated by it. I do remember though sometimes of feeling very sad afterwards, not because of the sore bottom but because of the look of pain I saw in my fathers eyes when I got spanked (this statement should really open a can of worms). Looking back on it I am sure that it hurt him more than it really hurt me.

I also know that I was such a stubborn hardhead that the normal punishments mostly didn't work (taking away priviledges, heart to heart conversations etc.) My parents were very good at sticking to their guns, carrying through on the punishment and being consistent, but sometimes it just took a couple of good smacks to get my attention and to help me understand that sometimes the results of ones actions can result in more that just a loss of priviledges etc.

On the other side too, I was more scared of Grandma (she was one of those cheek pinchers everytime she saw you...hehhee)