Oh Great Hive Mind, how do you feel about spanking kids, particularly in public?
October 1, 2007 5:30 PM   Subscribe

Oh Great Hive Mind, how do you feel about spanking kids, particularly in public?

I was at lunch with a friend of mine and his four year old son. His son is a very physical, but not mean, little person. He absolutely would not sit down and eat. My friend commented that he would spank him but then that would risk having the cops called on him. He is a cop himself. I am 26 and single with no children. I do not see a problem with a parent disciplining a child with a swat across the backside or legs. It would be polite to take it outside, though. What do you all think of this? Please state weather you are a parent or not.
posted by Brandon1600 to Society & Culture (4 answers total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: this is a very odd sort of chatfilter question. Asking "what do you feel about X, I'll go first" is not really a great way to get answers on AskMe, particularly on such a hot button topic.

 
I dunno...my dad was a psychologist, so we never got hit. Instead, we talked things through and faced consequences. It's how I want to raise my kids.

Even if I did believe in spanking, though, I'd never do it in public. That's just inappropriate. I can't quite pinpoint why, but I'd never do it and I'd really cringe if I saw someone else do it.
posted by christinetheslp at 5:34 PM on October 1, 2007


i think spanking is acceptable in small doses. but i wouldn't do it in public.
posted by twistofrhyme at 5:36 PM on October 1, 2007


I am not a parent, but was a children's therapist (with a counseling psych Master's degree) for 6 years. Frankly, I don't feel it is terribly effective. There are better, more effective ways to get a small person to "behave," so why not utilize those instead? I am not comfortable with the idea of hitting someone in just about any circumstance.

Then, I am a bleeding-heart, and I'm sure you have just opened a can of worms begun a very interesting discussion.
posted by thebrokedown at 5:37 PM on October 1, 2007


I am a parent. I would never do it. An amazingly stern (or even loud, if there's danger) voice has always worked with the baby, and the baby is 14.
posted by ersatzkat at 5:38 PM on October 1, 2007


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