I can't believe all these sadists around here. My parents beat the snot out of me for every deed or misdeed. By my teens I was in full rebellion and hated both of them.
We never laid a hand on our kids. They are all grown, paired off well, and excellent people. My wife and I stopped alcoholism and child abuse in one generation and are darned proud of it. This "whack em, hit em, beat em" crap is so much hogwash.
There are natural consequences to bad behavior. For example, what would happen if a cop pulled you over and you told him to "go F himself"
and he told you to get out of the car and you said no
Eventually your going to get whacked with the club.
well, put bluntly: your parents were abusive fools.
there were exactly two rules in my parents' house which entailed beltwhipping for violations:
1. You will not lie
2. You will not steal
all punishments were served COLD. No anger involved (though the appearance of anger was sometimes needed).
I and my siblings turned out quite well, thank you.
"Wack em, hit em, beat em"; isn't being condoned here. Proper discipline, in the form of spanking/paddling, is. Spanking isn't the only form of correction, but it can be quite effective when used in a conscientious manner.
I see WAY too many kids/young adults who are WAY out of control - and the most obvious reason is a lack of proper correction. Kids who were NEVER paddled/spanked have a tendency to not follow or accept any sort of boundaries. Does spanking guarantee a well-disciplined child? Of course not, I also know of some kids who have been abused - and they tend to be even more rebellious and trouble than those who are not corrected at all.
The key to correction, much like most anything in this life, is proper balance. Spanking should only be used when other means are not effective. But the child should always know that it is an option - that will be exercised if needed.
I know what you're talking about. My grandfather was an alcoholic and was an absolute terror to his family when he was in that state. My mother has hated even the smell of liquor ever since, and never wanted to repeat those mistakes on us. It made her all the more discriminating in her choice of a husband, for which we kids are thankful.
Do you have trouble distinguishing between prescription and recreational drugs too?