Grandparents smacking

[bluebananas1]

Not my sons grandparents just to clarify but keen to here other peoples opinions. Yesterday when I was o it with DS there was a little boy about 1-18 months (I'm not good at guessing ages) with his grandparent in the soft play, he was hitting a few of the other kids if they went near him including DS, she was clearly apologetic and I told her not to worry about it as a lot of them go through this stage. He done it again to a little girl and she shouted and him and smacked his hand quite hard, not a little tap.

I was then in the park later that day and heard a grandmother threatening to smack the boys bum for trying to lift his scooter on a piece of equipment. I know of a family member who smacks granddaughters hand if she bites. I'm unsure if the parents know but I've heard and witnessed it a few other times apart from this and prior to this I really didn't think it was a thing anymore, I would never want to do this to DS despite him really pushing boundaries sometimes. I know it was more normal in the older generation but I often wonder if the parents are aware. Is this still quite commom?

I can't lie and say I never gave any of my kids a smack . Would I do it if I had my time again , no . I have my granddaughter several times a week and would not smack her . Tbf I only have one grandchild and and I did have 3 of my own children under 4 , that's not an excuse , im just drawing a conclusion from what people have said about grandparents seeming stressed and overwhelmed.

I would have thought it was very unusual in this day and age. Most of my siblings have grandchildren and I am pretty sure they would never lay a hand on them, though they might have smacked their own dc occasionally. I think a grandparent smacking their grandchild is unacceptable, it crosses a line.

I'm sure this will upset a few but the kids I see on the streets nowadays probably would of benefitted from a smack or two as younger children.

If leaving my children in someone else’s care I’d expect that they could discipline my DCs, however i wouldn’t be ok with smacking.

To be honest I’ve come across grandparents who I think damage their grandkids more with their verbal abuse, my mother’s a narc and nasty which is why she’s not allowed near my DCs.

Last week I wanted to actually slap some woman for the way she was speaking to her poor granddaughter in the supermarket, the poor child couldn’t breath without being berated. I’d put money on her being happy to smack too.

There was also a grandmother at my DCs school who use to pick her grandkids up, one day I couldn’t believe how nasty she was to the oldest. I know the kids parents I felt I needed to say something to the mum, she knew but said she struggled with childcare and only used her when she had too. Apparently grandmother hated the mother and treat her like shit too, the mother was never good enough for the husband and the kids were all too much like their mother. The thing is I knew all the children too and they were some of the best behaved loveliest children.

I'm a gp , although a young one and I've never seen any gps out and about smacking or threatening to smack, my gps would be in their 80s now and never smacked my dc.

Where is "here"?

I don’t think it matters where I live as I’m sure not everyone smacks where I live I just mean in my social circle, amongst friends and family.

My MIL threatened to smack 2yo DS1 once. She was very quickly informed that if she ever so much as mentioned smacking to him again she wouldn't see us for dust.

If I saw it happen at a toddler group I would tell the organiser; most of them don't allow it. I would also speak to the parent if I knew who they were (and yes, I know I'd be risking a mouthful). Hitting children is despicable behaviour.

I doubt it will upset anyone, it just makes you look a bit ridiculous.

I am 60 ish . I was never smacked or threatened in any way.My children are in their 20s and they had the same upbringing as me.

Smacking is wrong. No need to be ageist about it.

How ironic, 'teaching' a child not to smack ... By smacking them. Grandparents ought to get with the times and learn how to actually discipline without the threat and carrying out of smacking.

I was smacked as a child and I resented it. It was always done in anger and it wasn’t hard but I remember the shock of it and feeling powerless. One of the reasons I’m not close to my parents - they still think it was right because I was naughty. Which I wasn’t - I was a really quiet kid but had my moments like anyone.

have managed to bring up two lovely kids without smacking. It’s not necessary and if you rely on it as part of your regular discipline you are a shit parent.

If it happened to my child, I would be ringing the police and going nc. It is assault.

Wow. I do not know anyone who would do this. I am in Scotland and it is illegal here. I would have no qualms about reporting it.

Hitting children is wrong, doesn’t matter who it is doing it.

My parents hit me when I was a a child, if they hit my child our relationship would be destroyed.

Snacking is wrong. So is ageism. Love the idea that people can use this thread to rightly condemn corporal punishment AND indulge their ageism at the same time.

I mean, I snack a lot and my kids LOVE snacks so I'm afraid snacking will be staying in my house 😂