Spanking Children Essay

537 Words3 Pages
Spanking Children Q I am a parent of two children, ages seven and twelve. They are essentially obedient and good children, doing their homework, chores and respecting my husband and me. However, from time to time they don't listen, yell and don't follow through on our expectations. I have always been taught that having children fear their parents is a good thing to assure they will not misbehave. If they don't realize who is the authority and who is in charge, they will test and push limits and start to rebel much more. From time to time my husband and I spank our children. This is when they are not listening and we feel we have no choice. However, these days teachers and friends, who have their own kids, are doing things differently. They admonish us for "hitting" our kids and tell us about other options. I inform them that we love our kids very much and do not hit them often and they need to know there will be serious consequences for their misbehavior. However, my husband and I are interested in a professional opinion and want to know your viewpoint? A This is a very relevant dialogue, as more parents are leaving the traditional authoritarian and hierarchical model of disciplining their children, for a more gentle and supportive one. This approach does not discount that firmness, rules and expectations are part of a non-spanking way of parenting. Children need to know who is in charge and that, at times, parents will make decisions and have expectations that the kids won't like. Parents see a fuller picture of a situation, carry a lot of responsibility, have a lot to teach their children and can greatly assist a child in working with their emotions and impulses and in cultivating their talents and helping them grow into aware, kind and well-functioning adults. I think the base of good parenting is loving understanding and clear expectations
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