Reasoning is as good as shouting (How to Discipline Children)

Name: Shellywelly

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Product:	How to Discipline Children
Date:	05/10/08 (45 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: becoming on a even level with your child

Disadvantages: Smacking loses respect

I think the disciplining children debate is the most difficult discussion as all children are different and all react to different methods.

My personal childhood experience included smacking, and I do not feel it helped me in the slightest, if it was my mother who smacked me I would often say it didn't hurt just to annoy her further. Where as when my dad smacked me I didn't respect him because of it and grew to have a unhappy relationship with him.

I have discussed this with my partner who had a very happy childhood, his dad maybe smacked him once or twice and it was at a point of extreme naughtiness and nothing else worked. His dad did however have a bamboo stick above the door frame and if my partner or his brother was naughty, their dad only had to point to the stick and they would behave. There dad never did hit them with the stick, but the fear of it was worse than anything.

With my own son I try to do things like talking to him and reasoning with him as that often makes him feel ashamed of how he has acted, failing that I would use the naughty step. I do not have smacking as part of my everyday discipline of my son, but I have to admit I have smacked him in the past and the guilt I felt afterwards was terrible. But I wouldn't rule out smacking again but it would be the last possible type of discipline as I don't think we should advocate violence.

Summary: Up to parents to decide how they feel best