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Originally Posted by CraigSca
I understand what you are saying, Samdari. However, from my own experience in the times where I have struck him it solved nothing. There was no "Okay, okay, I won't do it again!" The behavior we were trying to avoid continued (sometimes within seconds), but now we had the added issue of a child who is frantic, out of control and now screaming at the top of his lungs that we're evil, etc. In a sense, the bad behavior was thrown back at us, and the original point that was trying to be made was lost. All focus was on the slap on the rear-end, and not the bad behavior that began the whole process.
I gotta tell ya, if a mere slap on the butt worked, I'd be doing it.
Now...with my daughter...it's a different story. On the rare occasions that we feel a slap on the butt is in order, after teh receives the punishement she immediately comes crying over to us saying how sorry she is. With her, she understands bad behavior = bad consequences. With him, I feel he understands a little, but still cannot control his own compulsive behavior -- even with the threat of physical punishment.
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I was half-joking Craig. I think giving someone advice on how to raise their child is presumptuous, especially someone like me who is, to this point, childless. I am filled with sympathy at hearing your story, and want to emphasize the "I wish you luck" part of my post rather than the "you should beat your child" part.
I do happen to believe that physical punishment is effective, especially if it is more than a simple "smack on the butt" and actually hurts. But - more than I believe that, I believe in the idea that every child is different, and every parent is different, and you need to find a way that works for both you and the child.
Of course, I hate you, as my wife is 7 months pregnant with #1 after a loss last fall, and youo have given me yet another thing to worry about, as if being terrified both about not having this child, and actually having this child were not enough.