I think spanking / hitting your child is wrong. I believe it sends a mixed message ( I can hit you but you can't hit me or anyone else.)
I think spanking / hitting your child can instill fear of you not respect. There are other options such as time out , grounding or taking away priviledges. These will work, only if you are consistant and always follow through. It worked for me as a single Mom.
Maybe "spare the rod spoil the child " should not be taken so literally. There are many quotes in the Bible we like to use to justify our behavior. How 'bout "do unto others as you would have them do unto you"
I think we should be more concered about how to love our children and raise them to love us, themselves & all others.
Best of luck to all parents..it's not easy

im just responding to the fact that children are not as well behaved as they used to be. i feel that when doctors and child psychologists started saying that spanking is wrong, they didnt give many alternatives to spanking. if a person was spanked as punishment growing up and everyone says dont spank, then the parent just yells at the kid. everyone knows that after awhile, yelling gets you nowhere because kids just tune you out. therefore, i dont believe that children are misbehaving more these days because of less spanking, but because of less spanking alternatives. i was spanked as a child with a board with my name and my sisters name carved into it. i do not feel it was abuse, but my mother does not allow her grandchildren to see the paddle. i think that she may be a little embarrassed nowadays because it is considered unacceptable or taboo.

I was spanked sometimes out of anger, however I still believe in it done right. I am a believer in Christ and his word which says "He who spares the rod HATES his son, but he who loves his son is diligent to discipline." Proverbs 13:24 I do strongly agree that it must be done in love, with explanation and followed by a loving embrace. I think it is absurd to believe that a two year old can be talked out of running into the street. I can't imagine a mother who would rather their child suffer terrible consequences than quickly and lovingly discipline them!!
My children were entrusted to me by God, they are his creation and it is my responsibility to teach them and admonish them in Christ. And I cannot express more the importance of praying for our children!!!
We should not discipline to make our kids "soldiers" who won't embarrass us in public. We need to be concerned that the behavior that flows from them is an overflow of the condition of their heart. We have to pray that God would change their heart. That is what my husband and I try to do when disciplining. Explain this and pray with them.
A great read on the subject is "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Paul David Tripp

I keep hearing people say "hitting" is wrong and that two adults hitting eachother would be punishable by law:
I just wonder...Have you ever seen a grown adult go to another grown adult and say "Now, Billy, you did something you know is wrong. Now, bend over. I am going to give you a spanking." and then he carries out the act?
Unless that is the kind of "hitting" you think it is teaching, I have to disagree with that.

Yes, children are human. That's a great point. They are human...sinners just like us who are given parents to guide and teach us right and wrong.

I beleive that spanking teaches nothing other than "if you disobey mummy/daddy, then mummy/daddy can hurt you"

Growing up I was spanked, often, and I distincly remember hitting my younger brother when he annoyed me, then my mum would hit me, then I would tell dad that mum hit me for disciplining my brother, so he would hit me. It took me quite a while to work out that I could not discipline my younger brother. Although to this day i still cannot figure out how hitting is punishment for hitting someone.

Ive never spanked my 6yr old son, we speak to him about his actions, why they were wrong, if it is something new, he gets spoken to and that is it, if he does something that he knows is wrong, then he gets something if his taken away in addition to being spoken to. I believe this works better because he does not get said item back until my husband and I feel that he deserves it back, so everytime he wants to use it, and its not there, he can see it as a consequence of what he did wrong.

I also work in ourside of school hours care and ive had one child, after misbehaving say to me "Dont tell my dad when he comes otherwise he'll hit me" what a brilliant thought for a child to have about their parent. I told him "Maybe next time you'll think about the punishment before you do something you know is wrong? if you promise me that you will do that, I will not tell your dad" and to this day the child has not misbehaved once, out of fear of his dad, not because he knows that its the wrong thing to do, but because he dosent want his dad to find out. Thats not proper parenting, thats insitlling fear in a child.

Well I believe this choice is an individual one for all parents. I personally grew up in a Christian household and I was hit/spanked continually. Unlike many of the parents here my father often hit me when in a rage so I can not even bring myself to imagine hitting my children.

I am now 21 with an anxiety disorder and having experienced 4 major depressive episodes. I'm completing a nursing bachelor and have basically no relationship with my father as I can't bear to be near him.

I grew up with the beliefs of the bible, spare the rod spoil the child. Being told this when asking why I was smacked when older. I guess I believe in alternative methods. But I have smacked my toddler on the hand when finding him trying to put things in a light socket. However other then that I don't believe in doing it, I was always so scared as a child and I attached to my mother not my father.

Emotionally I don't believe its the right course, well for me I don't think it was. And from my own feelings I can't do it to my own kids.

However I think its different for each parent and child, the choices you make in discipline, only thing I can say is to not hit/spank your children when angry, or just annoyed or even for no reason at all. It confuses, hurts and makes them lose confidence and feeling love from the parent.

It is an interesting question however,listening to all the different opinions I've enjoyed even if I don't agree with them all.

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