You know, I’m starting to wonder if some of the more outrageous behavior that we see today (most noticeable on “reality” tv) isn’t due to the disappearance of corporal punishment. Because a big chunk of the people exhibiting post-active spoiled brat behavior are my age or younger. And I grew up right at the border time when all the sudden spanking was bad. I look at my contemporaries, grown people, acting out on Bridezillas or Rock of Love and think, “Somebody needs their little bottom paddled.”
Because my parents didn’t go whole hog for the no-spanking idea. I got my butt spanked a few times as a kid. [Note: spanked, not beaten. Big difference there. Never in anger.] It was generally at a very young age, and before I could really understand an adult explaining why I was being punished. Spanking was mostly reserved for dangerous things like touching the stove, running into the street, maiming a sibling. But a real hissy-fit might also get a light smack, too. Just to get my attention. A swat on the tush was immediate negative reinforcement. No planning involved. No need to explain why I was being punished. It was the thing that just happened. And if I was smart it wouldn’t happen again, because Mom or Dad could head off future bad behavior with a simple question: “Do you want to get spanked?” Nooooo. It got to the point where I’d just feel a mild pain in my sitter if I even thought about acting up.
As I got older, my parents switched over to timeouts, groundings, working on the yard, docking pay, lectures and other more creative means of demonstrating the error of my ways. At a certain point, I’d have rather had the spanking. At least that’s over quick.
I know it sounds kinda brutal if you weren’t raised that way. But honestly, I don’t think I was warped for life because my parents occasionally applied the flat of their hands to the round of my derriere. In fact, I think I’m remarkably well behaved. I didn’t learn that violence solves problems. I’m a lover not a fighter.
But with every parent saying how strapped they are for time, I wonder who has 5 minutes to make a kid stay on the naughty seat. A couple of pops to the po-po takes only a few seconds, and then everybody goes about their business. I also wonder how many parents whose kids have ended up on VH1 haven’t looked back and thought how one good spanking might have been time well spent.
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4 comments:
It is the parents who try to REASON with a 2-year-old that exasperate me -- these kids are NOT going to get it -- they have only been in the world about 700 days, their frame of reference is VARY narrow -- think about it.
I know. "Johnny, do you know how it makes Mommy feel when you hit her." "No." "It makes Mommy feel sad?" "And your point is, Mommy?"
To quote Bill Cosby, by adult standards, children are insane.
My friend tries to reason with her dog - to the same effect. Nothing. Give her a light tap on the nose and she pays attention though! (LIGHT tap).
I got spanked with a hand, a fly-swatter, and a belt. It wasn't fun but I learned quickly not to act up. My brother, on the other hand, thought it was funny. He'd run around zig-zagging away from my mom while she chased him with the nasty fly-swatter laughing the whole time.
Oh, my god. The fly swatter. It actually kind of smarts when you're little. But at a certain point it just becomes funny. But up until then, it really gives Mom a good amount of reach. She can catch you from the other side of the kitchen with the fly swatter.
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