Smacking laws - compromise is backed by Lords

[Hulababy]

BBC article

The compromise has just been backed by the House of Lords by 200 odd to 91.

"Mild smacking allowed

Smacking banned if:

• it causes bruises
• scratches
• reddening of the skin
• mental harm
• implement used "

I am disappointed they didn't go for a total ban. This country is so behind in times. It's very sad.

I agree shoud have been a total ban like the twelve other European countries who seem to have made it work.

As far as the argument that kids will say my mum beats me go here is my first ever poem at infant school which my horrified mum saw on her first ever parents evening on the wall as poem of the week.

I love my mum except when she beats me
She wears high heeled shoes
Make up and goes to parties a lot. etc.

Which goes to show kids make up stories all the time anyway. Hopefully mots people can tell the difference. My dd5 told her teacher I had died the other week just to see if that would mean she didnt have to eat her lunch!

I was interested to see that many of the forms of smacking I particularly hate (round the head, with slippers)are believed by many to be illegal under the reasonable chastisement law. As so many parents still go in for this treatment (there were 2 families on different reality TV programs who were shown repeatedly cuffing their kids round the head) I think more needs to be done to bring about an attitude change.

The Times has an interesting article here about the cultural shift that has taken place in germany. Can you imagine the tuts and moans here if a shop assistant allowed a mother to queue jump to divert a tantrum-out of control mum scenario?