Sites that I’m not going to look at again tonight
Or, I might get all angry & not be able to sleep…
1) The one where someone is implying that parents who don’t think it’s OK for the bus driver (or anyone) to spank their kids are whiny losers with ill-behaved children & that the lack of spanking is the root of all of the problems with society today.
That’s all 
I believe in spanking and Erik doesn’t, which is tough if ever kids were in the future. I don’t think a little spanking (if really deserved) really hurts anyone.
Comment by Robin — May 18, 2006 @ 1:40 pm
It may or may not be harmful, depending on the method and the mental state of the child and parent, when it is administered. But, I just don’t see it as an effective method of teaching anyone anything. We really want the kids to learn to communicate to solve their problems. And, I just can’t imagine hurting anything in the world, if I can help it, especially someone who I love so much.
Comment by naivemelody — May 18, 2006 @ 2:55 pm
I have kinda two sets of kids. Two from my early twenties and one that was born when I was 35.
I did believe in and use spanking with my older ones, limitedly and not in anger. With my younger one, I think she’s had one swat on her butt, but I really don’t see myself using that technique again anytime in the future.
Do I think my older kids are scared for the spankings they recieved at in their younger years? No.
Do I think that my younger child will be damaged by me not using spanking for her? No.
As an older mom I just find that I have more patience and more skill. I think my use of spanking when my older kids where younger was due to lack of skill and knowledge about more effective, or at least equally effective, discipline methods.
I agree. If given the choice between two discipline methods that are equally effective, most people would choose not to spank their kids. It hurts the parents (loving parents at least) as probobly more than it does the kids.
Unfortunately, most people are not very skilled at being parents.
You really seem to have a knack for it and an intuition that guides you in a way that I wish I had. Especially in my early twenties.
Comment by sherleen yanez — May 19, 2006 @ 2:28 am
One more comment. I read through the comments and I think the main point on that site was that so many parents don’t make their kids be responsible for their own action or show respect for other people. I have seen many parents sitting mad at my kids schools declaring the absolute innocence of their children in having anything to do with whatever the situation was.
That kind of attitude does the child no good and can severely handicap them in thier adult lives.
The posts where a bit offensive, but I think that was the main point that was trying to be made.
Comment by sherleen yanez — May 19, 2006 @ 2:31 am
I don’t know what kind of parent I would have been in my 20’s, or with a different man as my kids’ father. Who knows. I didn’t have these two until I was well into my 30’s & have a great partner in parenting - one who has taught me so much about what an awesome journey this can be, one who wants to talk about all the different ways we can do this, until we find the ways that, we hope, are right for us.
Sure, there are lots of people out there who aren’t parenting their kids. Some who spank and some who don’t. There are also lots who are doing their best to parent their kids. Some who spank and some who don’t.
I just hate reading such one-sided, ‘I’m right & you’re wrong’ kind of arguments. It just gets me angry & there’s nothing I could say that would make him(?) think any differently. I just thought it was straight out mean-spiritedness from the start - at least that’s how it read to me.
And, I know that I want to go have that argument, but I know it would just serve to make me angrier & that it would be futile, so I’m just going to stay away for a bit until I stop feeling so worked up about it
Comment by naivemelody — May 19, 2006 @ 3:15 am