Ads by Yahoo!

missouri_granny:

All I can say to you is AMEN!

If timeouts work for your child, or if you tell him "no" and he instantly obeys, then wonderful. You have a rare child. But a LOT of children do not respond to those things. Some children NEED their butts smacked. They learn very quickly what NOT to do in order to avoid getting a spanking, so it IS effective. Of course, allowing it to get out of hand can turn into child abuse. But just like those brats that were breaking into cars, I see teens and young adults every day that should have had their butts smacked as children, and maybe they'd be functioning members of society now instead of a drain on their families, communities, and sooner or later the legal system.

You think swatting a child on the behind is abuse????

I don't think so.

I think allowing a child to do anything they choose to do is abuse. I think letting a child scream in public to get their way is abuse. I think refusing to discipline your child, then putting it on drugs when you decide it has ADD is abuse.

Junkman has it right.

If this guy had slapped an adult in the face it would be assault. What a shame we are willing to make excuses for parents who have no more self control than to react with physical violence. If one must spank, it should be done in a controlled, calm way, explaining to the child that it is the consequence for their bad choice.

I know that nothing goes through a parent more than the word "whatever" but slapping a kid for it solves nothing.

Who are the adults and who are the children? Punishing a child for something they have made a bad choice about needs to be handled with understanding NOT a "spat on the butt" or slapped. Can you not remember when you were little and how you felt when being punished for something you didn't mean or didn't know was wrong? There are children that do misbehave but if a truly good parent wants their child to be a good responsible adult, they explain the wrongs and the whys of every wrong decision. Thinking you can solve violence with more violence is not smart. I remember the slaps, the switches, the embarrassments of being humiliated in front of family and friends. I said I would never treat my children the way I felt when I was young when being punished. My children are fine, they know why they shouldn't do a certain thing and know that punishment was NOT violence but rather something they needed to think about. Abuse is abuse, you can disguise it any way you want to but the end result will be someone that will either follow with more abuse or stop the cycle. I say stop!

Violence is never the answer, especially towards children!!
MISSOURI_GRANNY: It's disturbing that you find physically hurting a child will help them in any way. Can't you see how crazy that is? And your friend's kids that don't behave doesn't have anything to do with the fact that they aren't hit. The parents simply do not have control and have no idea how to discipline. If they starting hitting their kids today they still wouldn't behave.
A slap, smack, whipping, or whatever you call it is still hitting your kids and it's wrong. I'm sure some kids grow up just fine after being hit by their own parents, but I know a lot don't. They've been taught to think that if someone says or does something they don't like 'just hit them', that'll make them straighten up. This isn't the 'olden days' and there are much better ways to parent. People should catch up!!
I could never look myself in the mirror if I resorted to hitting and hurting my kids like that. And yes, I have kids and they behave just fine. They're not perfect nor are they out of control.

No child deserves to be slapped hard enough to cause them to fall to the ground and hit their head. Discipline shouldn't cause physical pain. I don't care if they are 5 or 15, slapping them is not the right way to discipline them. The thing that bothers me if that some people sexually abuse children & are faced with a lesser sentence than this.

Another classic example of why kids should not have kids.If one can not take care of themselves. Then how can they raise a kid?I see people all the time that cant afford a place to live,a reliable vehicle,healthcare,food for the table,or even a table for that matter.But yet they have kids,kids that suffer and do without basic needs.Life is hard,and it takes hard work to be successful in it.So to all the younger people who may read this,here is some advice from an older person who has made many mistakes along the way.WAIT TO HAVE A CHILD! Wait untill you are self supporting and own your own home before having a child.I didnt but then I did.I have a five year old and Im 48.My other two are 22 and 18.I was to young for them.Trust me you will enjoy having a child more if you wait untill you are older.At least own your own house to raise it in before you have it,if you dont then its 100 times harder to get the house.Kids arent cheap,and they arent able to do without like you may be able to.YOU DESERVE THE WAIT AND SO DO THE KIDS.!!!!!!!

How old is this child? This whole thing sounds kinda fishy. If you bop someone in the mouth hard enough to hit their head on the ground there should be some mark.

I don't believe in child abuse, but I am a believer in a smack on the butt.

I have friends who don't believe in swatting a butt. Their children are so out of control people can't stand to be near them.

Slapping a child in the face is not is not disciplining, its shows the lack of it by the parent.
If you want to teach discipline lead by example. Calmly tell the child that kind of disrespect will not be tolerated, then if the child persist in bad behavior you explain why the behavior is unacceptable and then the consequences and follow though with the punishment without losing control or becoming emotional or reactive. Reactive emotional out of control parents raise reactive out of control children. BTW if a parent follows these guide lines you should never have to resort to spanking.

This man apparently isn't even the father of the child, if he felt disrespected he should have let the mother handle the discipline of the child and kept his hands to himself.

this is rediculous!!!!!! there were no visible signs of being slapped? yet she was knocked to the ground and hit her head? i doubt this is a child abuse case. just a rude undiciplined kid punishing an adult for trying to correct her.thats what is wrong with all these street thugs today. when a parent does try to correct them, the cops, courts, and bleeding hearts jump in a ruin the adults life. oh and W.W.H.D? read your bible... he struck out also on the disrespectful venders selling in a holy temple ... on sunday! and to those who say " her mouth aint for hitting!" it aint for disrespecting adults either. kids wouldnt have to live in fear if they didnt repeatedly do things to fear being punished for. i got my butt whooped when i was a kid and i whooped my 6 kids butts when they screwed up.... 2 of which are police officers - 1 with the sheriffs dept. child abusers deserve the harshest punishment, but a parent (who cares enough to correct thier kids) NO! theres too many teenage crackheads, alcoholics, and pregnant girls now.

Hitting a child does NOTHING but produce a messed up adult later on in his/her life. Nobody deserves to be slapped in the face. Never!

I have had a manager of a very well established restaurant approach my wife and I one Friday evening. He just wanted to say, "I have been in this business a long time. I usually worry when a child comes through the door, but I don't worry about your kids. They are always awesome."

Funny thing is, I have never slapped either of my boys in the mouth or the face or knocked them down. Swatted their little butt here and there when I NEEDED to. I have grounded my four year old from TV, Toys, etc. I started the day they were born teaching them what 'no' means and have been firm, fair and consistent.

There are ways of teaching a child, but slapping a child is out of the question. PERIOD. Consistency fairness and firmness are the keys to discipline; NOT hit them and if it doesn't work hit them harder.

Mind you, I am a case manager at a residential treatment facility and deal with the result of parents disciplining that guys way.

No child should live in fear.

Agreed, she said she hit her head on the ground. There is much to be considered in a case like this. The age of the 'child', and with no visible marks left it leads me to believe it must not have been a punch. A slap or a spanking is old school and I can tell you first hand it works. Like I said earlier there's a fine line with it, and when other discipline will work it should be used. 20 years ago, or more, this would've been considered standard practice, and dare I say the older generations seem to have a great deal more respect for their elders and in general. There's a lot to be considered here that none of us know so to draw a definite conclusion is a bit premature. Some may recall the days when a whipping with a razor strap was a common practice and acceptable.

A mere slap could never send someone to the ground! There was enough force in that hit to make it a punch IMO open hand or not. That's where discipline becomes abuse. That guy crossed the line. Too bad, a minute slip in control may take this guy's freedom for yrs!

btw, men who are so preoccupied with respect in front of others are usually not deserving of it at all!

eornut; I'm sorry, but some discipline problems require a good spanking (or slap) to fix. Having them repeat the offense over and over may work for a minor problem and maybe only for yours... others it will only encourage.

My mother made my brother light a whole box of matches one at a time to teach him not to play with fire. HE HAD FUN!

Some folks need to wake up. If I'd ever said something like that to my old man he would've boxed my ears for me. You're raising a child to be a productive and respectable citizen not a smart-mouthed punk kid. It's a fine line all parents walk, but it's one that has to be walked if you don't want your children thinking a few words is all the retribution they'll ever have to face. The real world isn't so nice and fuzzy.

What a punk.
There is never an excuse to hit anybody in the face unless it's self defense or you are a professional fighter.

Well said eornut!! There is never a reason to smack a child in the mouth and knock them down. Violence is not the answer. WWJD? Wish that phrase would make a comeback! I'm not even religious but that makes sense!!

I dont care what my kids say to me,I will not slap them in the face or knock them to the ground. There are better ways to deal with a disrespectful child & slapping is not one of them !
If any of mine was to say "Whatever !" it best to tell them that they are not allowed to use that phrase, & if they continue then make them repeat if till they are sick of it ! I did it to my teen & she yet has never said it again !

I agree, depending on the age. I've heard some kids say things to their parents that made me want to slap them in the mouth. So many kids nowdays don't have any respect for their parents, but the parents have to show respect as well. Even then, sometimes kids can be real smart alecs.

How old was this child? If old enought ... I might slap my child too, if he/she said somethin like that to me.