Do you believe the government should regulate discipline methods?

NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We cannot allow the government to do what they are doing folks, you need to wake up and smell the fresh air. The government is way to big and they have no right to walk into your house and tell you how to live your life or how to discipline your children. If you let them do that, why not let them take everyone's first born child. I know that's extreme, but that's where things end up if problems are left to grow bigger and bigger. This is exactly what is happening in America today, the government is bigger and more powerful than ever. The proof of that is easy, the government is the largest employer of people in this country. Do you think that is good? These days the law is a joke, a person cannot defend themselves because the law is a joke, innocents go to jail for no reason, murderers and pedifilers walk free because of the game inside the courtroom called the law. If people don't get their heads our of you know where and stand up and do something soon, you'll remember 1984 really quick because it will be happening to us.

I definitely think this is going to far. There are rules already governing abuse, and maybe they might want to have a second look at those, that would be fine. But when you start telling a person how they can or cannot raise their own children then I think you've crossed the line. I have spanked my children on occasion when they've done something I feel warrants a spanking. I could probably count on one hand how many times I've done it to my kids though, I usually have other methods I use instead, grounding, standing in the corner, have a chat and explaining why what they've done is wrong, etc...

What irritates me, is that when you really need the government in a child abuse case, they are NO where to be found. And now they want to be right smack dab in the middle of the way I raise my children. This is ridiculous! I worked with juveniles a few years ago, and when a child was actually was being abused, you couldn't rely on them for nothing. And now, they want to put a parent in jail for spanking their child? I feel this is going to the extreme. I feel each parent has the right to discipline their own child how they see fit, as long as they are not abusing them. The government needs to put their energy in the abuse cases that actually need their attention. If they actually go through with this law this will not only waste the people's time but also waste the police, courts, and social worker's time. They should concentrate on doing something about the children that are actually being abused, then what good parents are actually doing.

I think the government should stay out of it. They tell you that you can't spank your child then when your child gets out of hand because of lack of discipline the government won't help you and they say it is all your fault. I say we need to get back to the basics of the Bible which this country was founded on. The Bible says, "spare the rod, spoil the child". Discipline is talked about all through the Bible. I think the government is invading our personal lives way too much. I watch our freedoms slowly disappear one at a time.

I agree with you.... No way should the government be telling me if I can or can't give my child a swat on the behind! Now child abuse is totally different. But the tricky part is trying to decide what is considered abuse. We had a neighbor growing up that used to use his belt on his boys. Those boys would come to school with welts on their backs! Yes, that was child abuse, plain and simple! But he always said it was just using discipline on his boys.

I think that any law stating how to raise children is crossing a line, every family and every situation are diferent and there is no one magic solution for everything. I understand their desire to try to protect the children, but thare are already laws for that, and they are not really enforced, so instead of putting out more laws, they should be trying to enforce the ones that already exist. And let the parents do the parenting. IMHO.

Wow, apparently everything is wonderful in the US. Because if spanking is one of the things that they are working on laws for, everything else must be solved already. Good work law makers.... Wait, this is just a joke. There is some much more they could be working on rather than trying to force people who to raise their children. I believe that spankings are okay as long as you are not abusing the child.

I feel as long as you're not trying to kill your child, then the government should not have anythng to say about the way you control your children.

it's none of the government's business how I raise my child. and more than anything, what is boils down to is stopping abuse. Ther problems lies in the fact that abusive parents will be abusive no matter what. It's illegal now to be abusive but they still do it. Parents who use spanking appropriately as a means of discipline would never take it beyond basic discipline. I think the government really has no place in my private home. It's ridiculous.

I think it is wrong for the government to step in and say how we can raise our children. If they get this approved then what else will they do? How far will they go? Will the parents get in trouble for everything and we end up with a nation of holy terrors? I agree that is probably to help with abuse but most abused children do not talk about it. They don't go to school and tell because they are afraid of what their mom or dad will do if they find out. Where as someone like my brother in law who is disrespectful and rude goes to school and tells his 3rd grade teacher that his dad beats him all the time. When all he got was a lecture and told if he got a report like that again he would get a spanking (they've tried taking things away, they've tried grounding and nothing is working--he gets a bad report every Friday for being disrespectful and he is! He is VERY rude) His dad has probably spanked him twice in his 8 years but the teacher was going to report him. There is defiantly a fine line in some how some parents spank. But I would say the majority don't do it because they enjoy spanking their child.

I think most parents have the sense to stop before they go to far (I did say most though). I don't think it is anyone's business to tell me how I should or shouldn't discipline my kids. I think the goverment sticks their nose in everyone's business.

in this issue it is very hard to draw the line between discipline and abuse. with this dilemma however i guess it would be a lot better for our children to be safeguarded from abuse rather than to be subjected to our own choice of disciplinary methods. i believe the children are so helpless to protect themselves that they are in every moment vulnerable to abuse from angry and frustrated parents. on the other hand, any method of discipline can be as effective as long as there is open communication between children and parents, we should at the very least try to explain to our children why they are being subjected to punishment, in that way they'll understand and accept their own fault and in the long run try to correct them at will

The American Government is finally waking up to a major problem in our nation-child abuse. Many children in the United States grow up in abusive families where spanking can turn into outright violence after young parents get frustrated and angry. How many parenting books and articles that recommend spanking recommend spanking when you are angry? All of them that I have read suggest stepping back, calming down, and then addressing the misbehavior of your child. Unfortunately, when children are spanked, it's often in a moment of pure frustration and rage-and it turns into more than punishment. I'm not saying that everyone who spanks their child is an abuser, I've spanked my children on occasion (and I can testify, it doesn't work for me as a method of discipline). In my case, it instilled fear in my kids, not respect. I know the one thing I don't want is for my children to fear me. I understand that the government is concerned about this issue, but I feel it is a breech of our parental rights to regulate discipline. The answer isn't to "ban" spanking..even if they did, it wouldn't stop the problem. My feeling is that an early intervention program that works should be put into place. The government should train individual states, who should take responsibility for each county/district. At risk families, teenagers who are pregnant, and severely low income families who are receiving government aid (food stamps, medicaid, etc.) should be enrolled in parenting courses that address the discipline issue. They should also be followed up with, and supported after the birth of their child and during each developmental stage until Kindergarten. I know this isn't a solutino, but it is a start.

No - The government should not be telling us how to raise our children! The same applies here in australia! By doing that, they are inflicting a fate worse than the odd smack on the bum for our kids! I have 3 children between the ages of 8 & 12 and have already been added to the "system". My children have been "taught their rights" at school and seem to think they can get away with anything! At the end of the day though, the government says that we are responsible for our childrens' behaviour! Why then, as responsible parents, are we being punished for trying to keep our children out of trouble, just because our children have chosen to do the wrong thing? The department says that "parenting by fear" is wrong.....but isn't everyone ruled by fear? What rights do we have as parents? The children are the ones with all the control now & we are already scared about tomorrow!

No the government need to stay out of the discipline methods. I believe that it's okay to spank just don't abuse the children.

I agree that is taking it too far. I don't believe in severly spanking, or using anything other than your hand. (Like belts!)

I think that the goverment poke their nose's into the common persons life far to much. I have a son and i wont let anyone tell me how i can and cant discipline him. I dont belive in hitting children in anyway shape or form but if my son, (when he grows u pa bit,lol) crosses the line and brakes the rules. He will be toled. My father ran a house of discipline and if i put my foot wrong,I knew about it...and i never done it again. I learned from my mistakes because of this and im doing fine. Times are changing for the worse in my opinoin. Cheers.

Why are they trying to abolish it? Easy, politions are the ones most in need of a spanking. Lets all give in to the whinning babies who can't dicipline their own kids properly but think we shouldn't either. Yea right !

Perhaps if they can come up with good ways to discipline our children then they can regulate it. I'm sure they can conduct studies and researches to further help us parents raise these kids these days.

The government has no business telling us how we should dicipline our children. That should be determined by each individual family, as long as it is not abusive. I can understand them making these rules for preschools, daycares,and such, but not for private homes.