10 Reasons Not to Hit Your Kids
I can remember my husband saying that when he was in school, hitting kids was not only condoned by the country, but in most cases the parents too. And I can remember with terror, the strap that the principal used in our public school. Thankfully, in most countries this is not allowed and if you want to take it even further, it might be a good idea to bann hitting in all forms for parents as well. My reason… could this explain why we have some angry teens? Some of the abuse might have been a great deal more severe than a gentle smack on the bottom. If we resort to hitting out of anger, what message are we passing along? There has to be a better way…
“In Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Italy, Israel, Germany and Austria, it is illegal for a parent, teacher, or anyone else to spank a child. In some states and provinces, it is only illegal for a teacher to spank. In all areas of North America, physical punishment by a parent, as long as it is not severe, is still seen by many as necessary discipline, and condoned, or sadly, even encouraged.
For the past several years, many psychiatrists, sociological researchers, and parents have recommended that we seriously consider banning the physical punishment of children. The most important reason, according to Dr. Peter Newell, coordinator of the organization End Punishment of Children (EPOCH)1, is that “all people have the right to protection of their physical integrity, and children are people too.”
Tags: adolescents, Anger, children, Discipline, Family, hitting, kids, Parenting, pre-teen, teens, tweensRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Behavior, Discipline, Weary Parent
2 opinions for 10 Reasons Not to Hit Your Kids
Mike
Oct 24, 2006 at 8:20 am
I was spanked a fair amount between around 2nd grade and 4th grade. Man it sucked.
Now that I’m a parent, I realize that it probably really does suck more for the parent. And, if it doesn’t, than the parent definitely shouldn’t be doing it. I wouldn’t have the heart to spank my kids. I have enough trouble not giving them dessert if they don’t eat their dinner.
Christina
Oct 24, 2006 at 6:14 pm
Have you read any of the positive parenting books? They lay out a very simple, astoundingly logical rational for not hitting your kids. All it teaches them is how to hit, how to lie, or how to hate and plot and wait til they get older, really. It definitely does not teach respect. It only teaches them to fear you, or to get more clever and sneaky so they don’t get caught.
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