Feel awful about what I just did but not sure what else I could have done

[ubdoneit]

I just smacked my little boy and I feel horrific.

He has started unbuckling his car seat and just clambering around the back seat of the car. Needless to say it’s massively dangerous.

We have to drive. We live on a country lane that’s narrow with no pavements and no street lights in winter - even in summer visibility isn’t great. I have to drive to get him to nursery and to do anything really.

I have shouted at him before and shown him videos, explained why it’s dangerous but he just keeps doing it. Today I pulled over and I smacked his leg, pretty hard. He cried and I told him I’d do it again if he unbuckled the seat again.

I have said to him I’m sorry I had to do it and I feel awful. I just honestly don’t know how else I could have dealt with it. I know sometimes people have said things like we can’t go to XYZ if you do it but sometimes you just have to go to places and it means his siblings would miss out too.

But would you believe it, it’s very un-MN like but my mind has been changed.

The AA advise not to do this
https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/safety/child-safety/belts-buckles

I didn’t have that experience with my own child in the same scernario. Hence suggesting it. Theoretically yes, practically possibly not - hence the suggestion 🙄

No no jo, it's not!

I think you missed my point. The driver had blacked out and the car is on fire how is someone from the outside getting in to rescue?

This is a very poor example as someone with dementia will be unable to recall the event and learn from it .
This is a good example where a short sharp shock could in fact be life saving at a later date as the child will learn. It is probably less traumatic for a child to experience that , than have a parent scream at them hysterically and burst into tears.
I would not feel guilty about this OP but for a 4 year old, the threat of driving then to a police station and telling a policeman that they are insisting on breaking the law is quite a clever idea for next time.
I think this is one of the few situations where a smack might be warranted.