sleepy jack

But it's normal for a child, out of ignorance and curiosity to get in some trouble and if the trouble stems from a snotty behavior then that's the parent's fault for letting them get away with it previously. I have a hard time believing that most bad behavior isn't a simple case of bad nurturing. That's why I think it's lazy for a parent to start spanking their child at 8 for acting the way they've been allowed to act since they were first allowed to speak. Many people here having been drawing example similar to that spoiled whiny kid we all see in stores complaining they didn't get a toy - I think that's a prime example of a parent having done a bad job. They don't act that way because of a lack of spanking; it's because it's been tolerated before.

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midnight rain

I want my punishment to be not allowed to do homework for a week.

What do you say, fair enough?

sleepy jack

That's not really what I was driving at. I was specifically talking about the issue of an adult physically harming a child. The child should have some level of say in the matter - specifically since it is an issue of legality in some countries.

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Guybrush

There's a lot of things shaping us. For example children mimic the behaviour of their parents so you could say that one way to help raise children to be nice is to be nice yourself. Put forward a good example. This is not an alternative to punishment of course, just saying more things shape us than the way we are punished.

Violence teaches violence.

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Something Completely Different

midnight rain

I guess, I just don't think that'd get the message through to the more stubborn kids.

right-track

Yes...very droll zzz.
Obviously, the emphasis is on punishment.

On occasions when my kids break the house rules and I have the luxury of taking my time as to how best to punish them, then I'm going to give them choices of which non of them will be attractive.

e.g;

1. A severe beating
2. No DS for a week
3. 30 minutes in the stress position
4. No DVD's for a week
5. No terrorising the neighbours for a week
6. Chores

I like the idea that they have to choose.

sleepy jack

Personally I would go the George Bush route and waterboard them; it's not torture!

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right-track

I believe this to be true...couldn't agree more.
The danger with kids is learned behaviour, the big obstacle is keeping your patience. Not always easy.
The way children react to a parent is usually a mirror image of how a parent treats a child.

half_baked87

sometimes, a kid just needs a smack in the mouth. i'm not going to back this up with psycho-babble... sometimes, it just has to be done.

Whatsitoosit

I say smack the ass... not the face, if you must smack. Less chance of you having your kids taken away from you. No psychobabble, just truth.

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"It takes 43 muscles to frown and 17 to smile,
but it doesn't take any to just sit there with a dumb look on your face."