Quote Originally Posted by Medusa View Post
One of the most difficult lessons I've had to learn in life as an adult is to act and not react. The father reacted to his child's bad behavior rather than acting as an adult and calmly but firmly removing him from the scene until he calmed down. I do understand what you mean, though, Wom, about our interpretation of abuse. I got spanked as a child. Today that's considered abuse, though I don't see it that way. I do hope, however, that grabbing your kid's face is never acceptable "discipline".
I used to get spanked to, and my father used to say to me how lucky I was, because he used to cop it with a horse switch. My father was raised right in his opinion, and I was raised right in my opinion. I can look back now and say "Yeah, I was a real little creep and deserved what I got."
So, really what is abuse ??? Was my father abused ?? Was I abused ??? Were you abused with your spankings ??? They answer in my opinion is no. But in others opinions it may be yes.
So what is really happening in this day and age ??? We obviously have become softer in our approach to disciplinary punishment, and we have replaced that with counselling and parenting classes ??? Do you believe that the children now become better adults because of this ??? I don't believe so.
Children need to be disciplined and taught the right direction in life.
The old saying "Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind" is what works.