Ban smacking, children's tsar urges

[Rowley Birkin]

Terminator X said:

Still don't understand why anyone smacks their kids. If they do something you don't want them to do state if you do it again X will happen, if they do it again do X. Not fking hard is it

TX.

PS X is usually witholding something like pocket money or playing on the X Box etc.

I find smacking children quite effective. Sometimes I even smack my own children.

[hornetrider]

Ridgemont said:

Apparently the UK Children's Commmisioners have all united to report the UK gov to the UN for its failure to ban smacking; it's failure to do so may place it in breach of the UNCRC.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-ord...

Must admit I thought it was already banned? Is it not then? Although I must say the thought of smacking my three year old sounds abhorrent.

[chris watton]

I would imagine that the kind of people who smack their children would also completely ignore any ban to prevent it, they also think that swearing at their kids is normal, if hearing the profanity aimed at their kids in the shopping aisles is anything to go by..

[QuantumTokoloshi]

chris watton said:

I would imagine that the kind of people who smack their children would also completely ignore any ban to prevent it, they also think that swearing at their kids is normal, if hearing the profanity aimed at their kids in the shopping aisles is anything to go by..

The people who don't smack their children, clearly allow them to run feral, gathering ASBOs as they go, only feed them a fast food diet ensuring they resemble hippos by the age of 5.

I do enjoy a good generalisation.

[chris watton]

QuantumTokoloshi said:

chris watton said:

I would imagine that the kind of people who smack their children would also completely ignore any ban to prevent it, they also think that swearing at their kids is normal, if hearing the profanity aimed at their kids in the shopping aisles is anything to go by..

The people who don't smack their children, clearly allow them to run feral, gathering ASBO's as they go, only feed them a fast food diet ensuring they resemble hippos by the age of 5.

I do enjoy a good generalisation.

I knew I should have added 'smack their children as if it's a semi punch to the head', I didn't mean those parents who give their kids a light slap on the wrist....

[Timmy40]

hornetrider said:

Ridgemont said:

Apparently the UK Children's Commmisioners have all united to report the UK gov to the UN for its failure to ban smacking; it's failure to do so may place it in breach of the UNCRC.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-ord...

Must admit I thought it was already banned? Is it not then? Although I must say the thought of smacking my three year old sounds abhorrent.

Must say that's what I thought.

As a non smacker I agree too. There are plenty of other ways to impose discipline with no need to resort to smacking. I always think if you can train an unruly dog without hitting it then there's absolutely no reason a child can't be trained without hitting it.

[anonymous-user]

Timmy40 said:

. I always think if you can train an unruly dog without hitting it then there's absolutely no reason a child can't be trained without hitting it.

The only reason is they're lazy and can't be bothered learning how to teach them so they just hit them instead.

[jjlynn27]

IMHO, if you are 'forced' to resort to physical punishment, you've failed as a parent.

[Hoofy]

I've been smacked as a child (and had the cane and slipper, at home and at school). I've never seen a problem with smacking kids (I mean smacking, not kicking the st out of them like you might in a pub brawl). However, I've worked with some naughty kids over the last year and whilst they can be annoying, I've not once needed to or had any desire to smack them. I'm quite surprised, really. I have realised that you really don't need to smack them at all. As someone says above, "if you don't do <whatever>, X will happen" works. Make sure there's a procedure of some sort and stick to it.

[Timmy40]

Hoofy said:

I've been smacked as a child (and had the cane and slipper, at home and at school). I've never seen a problem with smacking kids (I mean smacking, not kicking the st out of them like you might in a pub brawl). However, I've worked with some naughty kids over the last year and whilst they can be annoying, I've not once needed to or had any desire to smack them. I'm quite surprised, really. I have realised that you really don't need to smack them at all. As someone says above, "if you don't do <whatever>, X will happen" works. Make sure there's a procedure of some sort and stick to it.

Exactly my view.

[julian64]

jjlynn27 said:

IMHO, if you are 'forced' to resort to physical punishment, you've failed as a parent.

In your race to villify physical punishment you've possibly made the daftest statement on the thread so far. I think there are quite a few successful parents, in every sense of the word, who've smacked their children.

YOU may not feel like a success as a parent but the argument isn't about you, its about the effect it has on the child.

Depends on the person, the child, and the context.

[Stevanos]

It is illegal and frowned upon here in Sweden and dare I say the kids seem a little better behaved.

[julian64]

Stevanos said:

It is illegal and frowned upon here in Sweden and dare I say the kids seem a little better behaved.

Better behaved than where?

England?

China....They always seem very well behaved in china

http://www.chinasmack.com/2010/secrets/chinese-chi...

Probably have them shot if they do anything really naughty.

[Stevanos]

julian64 said:

Better behaved than where?

England?

China....They always seem very well behaved in china

http://www.chinasmack.com/2010/secrets/chinese-chi...

Probably have them shot if they do anything really naughty.

It is my observation they seem better behaved than the UK yes, obviously there are other factors but it probably goes to show that smacking a kid is not exactly essential!

[jjlynn27]

julian64 said:

jjlynn27 said:

IMHO, if you are 'forced' to resort to physical punishment, you've failed as a parent.

In your race to villify physical punishment you've possibly made the daftest statement on the thread so far. I think there are quite a few successful parents, in every sense of the word, who've smacked their children.

YOU may not feel like a success as a parent but the argument isn't about you, its about the effect it has on the child.

Depends on the person, the child, and the context.

You seem to be very angry about an opinion, the IMHO part. An opinion.

In MY experience, children learn very well if you set up boundaries, and if you are consistent in what is and what is not acceptable. When you calm down, I'd like to hear a situation where you felt that it was necessary to inflict physical punishment on someone not able to meaningfully defend themselves.

[julian64]

jjlynn27 said:

You seem to be very angry about an opinion, the IMHO part. An opinion.

In MY experience, children learn very well if you set up boundaries, and if you are consistent in what is and what is not acceptable. When you calm down, I'd like to hear a situation where you felt that it was necessary to inflict physical punishment on someone not able to meaningfully defend themselves.

Not angry, just pointing out that your post is parent centred rather than child centred and therefore inconsistent with your aim of being the 'good parent'. I have no real feelings either way about smacking or banning because I think people who have hard ideas one way or the other are simply calling on a limited experience.

I find your attempts to turn 'smacking' into 'inflict physical punishment on someone not able to meaningly defend themselves' funny. Any minute I expect you to post a meme of a seal pup being battered by a club. On the one hand it demonstrates that smacking has quite dark connotations to you , which you are applying to everyone who uses the term.

I therefore take the mickey out of said people.

[anonymous-user]

If smacking is not physical punishment, what is it? Adult smacks adult - criminal offence, absent self defence. Adult smacks child with exactly the same amount of force - no offence if reasonable chastisement. Tho is an outmoded anomaly.

[TTwiggy]

Breadvan72 said:

If smacking is not physical punishment, what is it? Adult smacks adult - criminal offence, absent self defence. Adult smacks child with exactly the same amount of force - no offence if reasonable chastisement. Tho is an outmoded anomaly.

You said you wouldn't come back in here...

[Timmy40]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I think el stovey was right, it's the resort of the lazy, or perhaps more sympathetically the tired stressed parent, who doesn't want to/ can't spare the time to discipline the child in a constructive manner.

[anonymous-user]

A common theme among those who support smacking is that smacking is not to be equated with violence. The reluctance to be honest about something, and the use of euphemisms and woolly evasions appear to me quite telling.