General Chat

I think Kaye has described my own experiences of being smacked as a child perfectly. I wasn’t smacked indiscriminately, I was slapped on the back of the thigh/bottom as a last resort when several warnings had failed. However, I was never hit anywhere else on the body, and only by my Mum (she always felt that a man’s hand was too heavy for a child). Like Kaye, I can’t remember any specific incidents of smacking, so I’m sure it hasn’t done me any harm, and the smacks were definitely few and far between. As I got older, I was denied privileges rather than being smacked. I desperately wanted to go to a children’s camp one year with my friends but after two warnings, I was cheeky again and that was it, no camp. I do agree with Gerry’s point though – one man’s smack is another man’s abuse. Having worked in a school, I’ve seen a mother hit child hard around the head, which I found totally unacceptable and reported to the Headteacher. I also recently saw a mother kicking her little boy because he was dawdling along the pavement. In my eyes, those two incidents were of abuse, not discipline, but that’s only my opinion and not that of the mothers in question. We have brought our son up in a similar way. When he was younger and misbehaved, he was warned – usually twice – and then he would have a short, sharp slap to the bottom. As he got older, we took away his privileges and that seemed to work. At 18, he assures me that he’s had a lovely childhood, wouldn’t change his parents for anything, and doesn’t think we have abused him or mentally scarred him by giving him a smack on occasions! Mandy :)

nudge....For sue!! so with u!

I used to hate being smacked but it wasn't often and I really learned the lesson. I smacked my own three children but only for being rude to others or being mean to each other - and they seem to have grown up lovely kids, or so I am told. In general, if a child learns respect and self-respect it seems to be good, whatever their background.

I've just read all the other replies properly and it seems that some people think that a smack is the same thing as being beaten, which I don't.... so this is a wide debate! I disagree completely with beating and think that a smack is a quick shock, not a painful experience. It also seems that some children might be disciplined for a wide variety of misdemeanours..... children are generally horrid ( ha ha) so you can't smack them for everything! I do agree that a lack of discipline and respect, for ourselves and for others, has caused a lot of today's problems, Len. PS are you Len of the Chilterns???

Helen no diff LENxx

Spent 3 hours at A & E with my daughter on Monday evening - she had hurt her hand during basket ball in school. One Mother (?) smacked her son because he had been knocked over by a car after school and she had to spend two hours in A & E because of it, AND she had no fags. Says it all . Yes I was smacked as a child -but for the right reasons - such as climbing out of the bedroom window and jumped into the front garden (because I could) and playing on the prefab roof (because it was fun). Both dangerous and knew I shouldn't but hey ho. LOL Loads of others but I deserved it !! These days I see kids getting a smack for no reason and other times I see kids getting away with unacceptable behaviour without a by your leave, such as shoplifting (their little darlings would not do such a thing even though it's on CCTV), to buying drugs at the school gate because the parenrs give them too much money because they have no time or inclination to spend quality/any time with thieir kids. I am not getting at parents who's kids get into trouble with drugs here through no fault of theirs. It's hard being a parent at the best of times but I think some do not put in much effort. Libby x

well said Libby!! nice mum in AnE!!! lovely!!;0(((