smacking

[Katekoom]

im on the fence about smacking bottoms and my little one is far too young for it to even be an issue but I'm curious...

As a child i got the odd bum smack with hand, slipper, wooden spoon when my behaviour was bad. I'm wondering, are parents even allowed to smack anymore?

Do you give a smacked bum?

Me, my brother and partner were all smacked as children - we all turned out OK (as have many others) I'm not traumatised by it in the slightest. I went to a catholic school and the nuns there would clip us around the ear hole if we were naughty or disrespectful. I am in my late 20's so we're not talking many many moons ago.
There is a massive line between physical abuse and smacking or a tap.
I wouldn't do this to my kids as it is not heard of these days and do not wish to be labelled a bad person, evil mother or have the social services sniffing around ready to target me for tapping my child's bottom for being naughty.
Makes you wonder, how on earth did they all cope in the old days?!

Does the fact that you, your brother and your partner have apparently suffered no ill effects of smacking mean that it is an advisable and effective parenting strategy that should be adopted by all parents? Does it make it morally right to hit children?

Of course physical abuse is different to smacking as a parenting strategy. But that doesn't mean that smacking is a good thing, and an effective parenting strategy. If something isn't abuse, that doesn't mean that it is ok!

I'm curious as to why the only reasons you won't smack are that "it isn't heard of these days" and you're afraid of being labelled a bad parent who needs SS intervention. Surely if you think smacking is ok, and it is currently legal, you'd be all for it as its done a great job for you, your brother and your partner? Why would what anyone else would say affect your decision to use a parenting strategy that you think is justified and effective?