Is it ever ok to smack?

[naturalblonde]

Following on from some of the views onthis thread is it ever ok to smack your child? If so, under what circumstances?

[sonicdeathmonkey]

I try not to judge people who only smack lightly and very occasionally but personally can't see the point. If I have a disagreement with an adult I have to find a way round it without belting them round the arse so there's no reason why I shouldn't do that with a child. Ok, you can't reason with them in the same way as the average adult but there's still ways and means, and I find my 4yo FAR easier to reason with than quite a few adults I know.

Maybe a debate should be opened about whether there is an appropriate circumstance to give an adult a quick whack

[beansmum]

I don't think so, would it ever be ok to smack an adult?

[naturalblonde]

I've always said that I would smack as a last resort, for example, if my dd ran into the road in front of a car, despite being told not to, ie, short sharp shock kinda thing.

But, in practice, don't think I actually would. Still don't think i'm 100% against smacking, but I honestly can't think of any situation where i would feel the need to smack my dd. Maybe i'm just too soft, and will feel differently when she's a bit older (she's 1.7).

Am genuinely interested in others' opinons on this.

[nelliesmum]

Its up to you...but it doesn't work. I smacked my eldest, it escalated every situation, made her aggressive and made me feel awful. Also if you smack softly they just laugh at you..so you smack harder - The day I waited twenty minutes for the red mark on her leg to disappear so I didn't have to explain to her father how she got it, is the day I stopped smacking.