The View..Spanking Is It Ok Or Not?

United States
June 22, 2009 12:06pm CST
Today on The View "Hot Topics" one of the discusions were about spanking your child and people getting involved. The topic started because (Actress) Liv Tyler interfered with a woman alledgely spanking a child in public. Liv got involved etc, etc.. So the questioned asked was howwould you feel if during the discipling of your child, (spanking) would you be bothered if someone stepped in? Now my personal opinion is if I was discipling my son to my standards which is a spank on the butt, yes I would definately have a promblem with someone stepping in. I would never step in between a parent discipling there child with spank on the butt, or slap there hand in that form but if it was a situation were a parent/adult is harming a child physically in public then yes I would step in. Theres a difference between a spanking and abuse! But here's what got me,, Sheri host on The View has a small boy, Jeffrey and she stated that she was bothered by a stranger stepping in when she was discipling Jeffrey, with a wooden spoon! Okay so call me crazy but first of all you should never discipline a child in public so harsh especially with a wooden spoon..hello! That's just crazy. I mean my parents with take off there slipper or belt at home, but a wooden spoon. I thought she was joking at first, because she is a semi-comedian but know she was dead serious. Do you think that's alittle over doing it? Do you think a good licking is ok?
5 people like this
18 responses
22 Jun 09
All I got to say is I have 6 well behaved children and I would never stoop so low as to physically abuse them with my hand, spoon or slipper..its a viscious circle that should be stopped by your generation, so the next generation learn respect without violence. Sorry if thats harsh but sometimes the truth hurts...but its never too late to start using the naughty step instead :)...please...for the sake of your children :)
1 person likes this
@iriscot (1289)
• United States
22 Jun 09
May I ask what method you used to raise the 6 well behaved children. We raised three boys and I only had to correct one of them one time, I used my hand with one blow and that put an end to it. We never had another problem that required such a method. There was an old saying "spare the rod and spoil the child", the rod part is a bit extreme though.
1 person likes this
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
22 Jun 09
I agree spanking with a spoon. I just would never do it but its more common then you know. My friend(not anymore) use to spank her son with a spoon. I just use my hand and one little pop on the behind usually gets the point across.
1 person likes this
• United States
22 Jun 09
A wooden spoon? LOL My sister used to use a wooden spoon to discipline her kids. It works wonders. After a couple of times of popping their little a$$es with it, she didn't even have to use it...all she had to do was pick it up and point it at them and they would stand at attention like trained soldiers...it was hilarious...
1 person likes this
@dozhou (326)
• United States
22 Jun 09
Spanking is one kind of penalty, but not the only one. I think it is the final one if I have no other ways to control everything. If you use it so frequently that it will its function of penalty.
1 person likes this
• United States
24 Jun 09
hi. i love this topic. i think that if people would mind their own business and tend to their own then maybe we wouldnt have all these bad a** kids running over thier parents, teachers, etc. Disrespecting their elders. i dont agree with public dicipline because i think it causes humilation, but sometimes you have to . i hate to spank but i use it as a last resort. my hubby and i fight about it all the time. now as far as someone stepping in, if a parent is tring to get their child to mind, then BACK OFF AND MIND YOUR OWN!!! ge a life. I would totally go off on someone if they stepped in tring to tell me what about how i dicipline. ha. but what is so screwed up is our system. they want to punish those who are merely giving a spat on the back side and letting the real abusers go free. I do hate to see a parent slap their child in the back of the head. that really burns me up and no one says anything. but you pop ur child on the butt and its abuse??? Im sorry but something is wrong. My opinion is for those who like to interfere, they should back off or have thier own children. children need dicipline and spanking is not always effective true, but sometimes when there is nothing left then a good tap on the rear is not going to hurt. so for those of you who think you know it all. get a life and raise your own children, or simply help those who really need it.
• United States
23 Jun 09
To each there own but I think that spanking is ok when done the right way. Like tapping the butt or hand a few times never a wooden spoon. I was spanked with a belt and hands and I turned out alright. There is a difference between spanking and abuse. Some people will say never spank others say its ok or have no opinion
• Canada
23 Jun 09
Hitting children whether you call it spanking or not creates stupid adults like the ones posting on this forum. Just because intimidation and fear works to discipline children doesn't make it right. What if you were late for work and your boss spanked you with an open hand on the rear end? Not acceptable and not acceptable for children. who wants robot/soldier children. So then they will hit others and the family dog and be trained to fight wars and take orders from religious fundamentalists. I would like someone who thinks for themselves thank you.
@arkansos (545)
• India
23 Jun 09
Seriously, this discussion sounded like it was going in another direction...lol So we are discussing here whether its nice to give kids a nice spanking huh? Well I'd say no, but I dun have the right to comment, since I am just nineteen. Barely Legal. It hurts when u spank the kid. I turned out alrite, though my parents spanked me a bit and little.
@arkansos (545)
• India
23 Jun 09
Seriously, this discussion sounded like it was going in another direction...lol So we are discussing here whether its nice to give kids a nice spanking huh? Well I'd say no, but I dun have the right to comment, since I am just nineteen. Barely Legal. It hurts when u spank the kid. I turned out alrite, though my parents spanked me a bit and little.
@hairypits (294)
22 Jun 09
I would be infuriated if someone stepped in when I was disciplining my kids! You are established in your routine and you know what works for you and it is NOTHING to do with anybody else. I normally discipline on a volume and forcefullness level of 2 or 3 - I save level 10 (shouting and a smack on the bum or hand) in case they do something thoughtless dangerous or harmful. I always use the naughty step but on occasion the kids will do something where it's not practical for example run ahead of me down the driveway when I am trying to get the pram with my younger child out of the door. I'll shout at him, give him a smack, get down to his level and tell him how dangerous it is to do that and how sad it would make mummy if a car hurt him. The shock makes him listen, he says sorry and knows that he has done something wrong. This has happened...once. This sort discipline works for me and that is that. What makes me even angrier is when we go to the local playgroup and you see kids playing and a toddler will do something in innocence and hurt another child and it's mum will stomp over to the other mum demanding that they discipline their child!! Get stuffed you high and mighty horrible mother!
• Philippines
23 Jun 09
Well its been natural to us tha we spank our kids when they get punished or when they did something wrong. But think about this, what will be the thought of your kid when you hit them. It will stick to their mind that violence is ok and it is ok for them to hit someone when somebody hurt or did something wrong with them. I think there are some ways to descipline your kids aside form spanking them.
@AndrewBoi (369)
• Philippines
23 Jun 09
If it's needed, spanking is ok but not to the extent of just making the child suffer more than what he should. Spanking is one way of disciplining a child. It should be done in a good way and not just merely spanking,
@baz5687 (131)
• United States
23 Jun 09
I dont believe that is the right way, as Im not a parent yet, my parents would probably have gotten even more angry at me if osmeone had interferred.
• United States
23 Jun 09
I think spanking is okay in moderation and if there's a good reason for it. I don't think you should continuously spank the child with great force for doing something they didn't know they couldn't/shouldn't do. I think one or 2 little spanks should and could get the point across, especially if they did something you've already told them not to do once before. If someone interfered while I was disciplining my child I would tell them to mind their own business and tell them I didn't ask for their advice on how to discipline or raise my child. I don't think you should use anything other than your hand when spanking a child on the behind or slapping their hand.
• Canada
23 Jun 09
The comments supporting spanking here are disgusting. Who wants their children to be like trained soldiers. Just because something works to intimidate your child and make them behave out of fear doesn't make it right. Then they will go and spank their siblings or family dog. Other methods take more patience but they don't result in ffffed up adults that use violence to solve problems.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
22 Jun 09
I think if you are going to spank, you should never use anything but the flat of the hand and only, like you said, on the rear end or on the hand. Even then, I don't think spanking's a very effective method of punishment, but more useful for getting the attention of a child who is hysterical.
@redhotpogo (4401)
• United States
22 Jun 09
Sure, if you're into that kind of thing. Don't forget to have a safe word like "peanut butter" just incase thing get a little "cra-azy" My personal opinion (someone who doesn't have kids, but who is still a kid), spanking doesn't work. Yeah you just hurt the kid, made them cry, scared them, showed them who's boss, but that only teaches them not to get caught. You're better off explaining to them what they did wrong, and why its wrong. And before you do that, you need to think to yourself why it was wrong. Maybe there is nothing wrong with what they did, you're just in a bad mood, or playing the "parent" role a little too hard.
@dlr297 (5409)
• United States
22 Jun 09
I believe that a parent has the right to discipline their children. And i see nothing wrong with a swat on the but or a slap on their hand, and when my children were small if they were miss behaving in public i did not wait to discipline them when they got home. They got it right then and their. and if some one ever tried to step in they would have got a ear full from me. but i never abused my children, and the swats that they received were never excessive or meant to hurt then. It was more to get their attention than to give pain. If i saw some one abusing a child on the street i would probably say something, or try to get some one that could step in. I do not think that a spanking is wrong.
• Switzerland
22 Jun 09
Being a parent nowadays is EXTREMELY difficult. If you spank your kid too much then he/she will grow to become a traumatized adult. However, If you do nothing to punish a child who has done something wrong they will become very... umm. "bratty", so to speak. Each parent has to find a balance and adapt to their kid's personality. And that is why we cannot be so black and white about his issue, as there is no exact right answer.