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Sometimes spanking children is necessary

DEAR EDITOR:

Is spanking children good or evil? Every child is different. I’ve raised and helped raise many.

Some children respond to timeouts and having their toys taken away. Some children respond to lost privileges (grounding), but some only respond to a swift smack on the backside. I’m not talking about teenagers. If you’re having problems by then, you have missed the boat.

Never hit a child out of anger. I wish my parents had learned that lesson.

Spanking a child is not about anger, but about teaching them discipline. If you are spanking your child, you should not like it or want to do it. It should make you feel bad. This should be the last and final resort. This is not about your justification for taking action for a bad child’s behavior but the last option to make that child behave in a socially acceptable manner.

A spanking, at a very young age, should never cause pain. It is a simple reaction to show, “I am in charge; listen to me.”

Once they get a little older, especially with boys, a little sting shows you are the dominant person in the household. This actually works. It is not abusive and when used in the right way makes a huge difference in how they act towards authority figures later in life.

If there are no borders and no repercussions for one’s actions, they never learn consequences. This is why so many grow up with no boundaries or respect for others.

This is basic psychology. I raised all my kids to be strong. All my kids, biological or otherwise, know I love them. Life is hard and I made sure they knew that going in.

Whether they went to the military or college, they knew this world would try to eat them alive. They were ready and prepared. They are all doing very well. I did my job. I was not their friend, but their parent.

Selfish people should learn that your kids come first. It’s all about them, not you. If you don’t know that, I think I just spanked you.

JAMES B. LESTER

Leavittsburg

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