To find it weird that smacking kids is still normal?

Sometimes its not the kids that need a smack its the parents.

At my infant school apparantly kids used to have their mouths washed out with soap if they swore! I think it was an urban myth as no-one ever heard of anyone it had actually happened to.

If any kids in class played up the teacher would draw a circle on the blackboard and they had to stand with their nose in the circle, now that was effective let me tell you!

I’m a 90s kid I was never smacked or shouted at as a child but my brother was. I never smack my child. I live in London and never hear people telling they smack their child but you never know whats going on behind close doors. The only time I heard someone threatening their child was years ago on the bus a mom shouted at her daughter for the whole bus to hear “ just because we are out in public it doesnt mean I cant slap you”

I don't think it is normal now.

I don't think it's alright or normal. Does seem commonplace in my area though. My daughter was horrified first time she witnessed a child get a smacked bum in town. Think it varies from place to place how common it is.

It's horrible. I remember being way more than smacked by other people's parents as a kid in the 80s. My own parents didn't smack but didn't care if other people's did it to me.

My mum said her dad was quite violent and scary to her but mainly her male siblings. She didn't seem to think he was a bad parent.

It's really scary and traumatic.

I don't see how anyone could do it to someone so small and innocent. A child or an animal.

It's not normal, what gives you the impression it is?

I'm the same age as you and I have never forgiven or forgotten the junior school teacher who humiliated me when I was 8 by putting me across her lap and spanking me in front of the whole class.... for having had the temerity to stand too close to her desk!!!!
Mrs Jean Proctor, you had no call to do that!

I don’t think it’s normal now. Growing up, I and everybody else I knew was smacked as punishment. Now I only know one person who “smacks” their kid and I think calling it a “smack” is probably inaccurate.

I remember getting hit repeatedly around my head with a shoe. I didn't know why. Must've made my mum feel better for a minute or two. I’d even get hit for spilling a drink.

Totally agree

I remember being shaken & smacked by my mother when I was only about 5 because I was scared of being taken to the doctor.

60 years later I can still remember her angry face and the feeling of misery & shame because I had displeased her.

It is a really destructive thing to do in terms of your relationship with a child

I distinctly remember being smacked twice as a child, once hard on the leg by my mum when I was being fussy about the food she’d served up (this was the 90’s, it didn’t fly to be picky about what was in front of you ) and once on the bottom by my grandad for crawling across an antique sofa at his house when I was about 3/4.

Can’t imagine either that response to either incident occurring these days but it wasn’t unusual then. My poor friend had his mouth washed out with soap once for swearing, and the mum was almost boastful of the fact that she’d used that level of discipline towards it. A lot of ‘well he’ll know not to do it again!’ responses from other parents. You’d be on the phone to SS if you heard that someone had done that now.

I was smacked in the 1970s. I don’t think it did do me any particular harm.

That doesn’t think I mean it isn’t harmful generally. And I would never ever lift a hand to my own children.

My own parents would be appalled if I’d smacked my kids - things have moved on in the last 45 years.

Never heard it. Never done it. Only time I’ve seen it in 30 y was in Spain 20 years ago. My son was about 4 at the time and horrified

In my circles, the “never did me any harm” people are usually not talking about smacking, as much as they are talking about unruly (or worse) behaviours. It’s a simplistic response. Even the fact that people feel compelled to justify themselves indicates how unacceptable it is.

I think we’ve made enormous progress in a very short time, because it was not only routine, but encouraged in living memory. But I agree op that it’s baffling that people can’t just work out for themselves that it’s not ok for bigger, stronger people to hurt smaller ones. I find it shocking listening to some American media, particularly parenting podcasts, where it’s often discussed casually. And worse- eg face slapping, “popping a kid in the mouth” for mild swearing, spanking, or using spoons, belts or actual purpose made paddles . Any Facebook or you tube videos of misbehaving kids, or gentle parenting videos always have tons of comments advocating physical violence. Even the fact that those sorts of comments and likes stand is quite weird to me.

We never smack our kids (2 and 4).
I was smacked as a child and while I don't think it did me any major damage, I think it was a product of the time (90s) and it's better not to. Other forms of discipline take longer but are better overall.

Not normal round here… I’m sure children are still being hit but I can’t think of anyone we know who would consider it part of normal discipline for a child.

We might live in the same locality as I’ve heard it too.

Rough part of South London .. I've heard mum's from my kids school threatening to smack them.

I’ve never seen it but… I hear it fairly regularly on the morning commute, lots of very stressed parents trying to get their kiddies to school on public transport. No, it’s not a particularly nice area of south London.

Horrible. And believe me, my three year old has driven me to the brink of madness on many an occasion but I couldn’t bear him to think i’d lamp him. I actually looked it up the other day, after hearing someone say it, and it’s still legal to smack your children in England if you don’t use force intended to cause injury or harm or some weird loophole like that.

Christ! Where do you live?! I haven't heard anyone actually threaten that since I was a child.

It Is definitely not normal in my circle.
Although I live in Scotland where it is illegal, even before that it would not have been the done thing.

I never hear anyone threatening to smack their children either. I know there are children who sadly
suffer abuse but I really don’t believe the smacking of children in general
for bad behaviour is common now.

Smacking kids is not normal and hasn’t been for decades.

Maybe depends where you live? Where I live I hear people threatening to smack their kids often