Discipline: To smack or not to smack?

What are you thoughts on using smacking as a form of disciplining children? One of the team shares her views.

It's 2017 and children are growing up with a lack of respect for their elders; you get on a packed school bus and the children are loud, throwing food everywhere and they don’t have the initiative to stand up for an elderly person. Why you ask? In my opinion it is because they are not being taught to have respect for their elders at home.

Although I do not have children, I think that having a relationship and disciplining your children is a big part of parenting and in my opinion the best form of disciplining a child is by smacking. Of course if your child does something wrong, give them warnings and let them know that what

they are doing is wrong; however if your child is out right defying you then a smack is needed.

There are different forms of discipline as we have seen Super Nanny try and sometimes fail; and of course there is a clear distinction between abuse and disciplining your child. Thinking from a perspective of someone who has never been smacked before I can see why they see this as a form as physical and mental abuse however in some cases I think smacking is needed.

However you decide to discipline your child is your decision but gone are the days where you can smack your child without having the fear that social services will come and take them child away. Of course I am not saying you should physically abuse your child but smacking is form of discipline that I believe will help your child in the future. There is a taboo that comes with smacking and some say that it is a form of physical abuse and that you are teaching your children that violence can solve disputes. However I would say that you as a parent should teach your children right from wrong therefore it is your responsibility to also teach your children the difference between smacking to discipline and fighting full stop.

Smacking your children when they are naughty was an option before but in my opinion, in 2017 it is a necessity. We are in the era of Snapchat and Instagram, your children are watching girls like Danielle Bregoli telling her mum to “cash me outside” and they think that is acceptable behaviour. To all the parents out there, if your child says that to you, your response should be “I’ll meet you outside in 10”. Don’t be that embarrassed parent that has to come down to the school because your child has no respect.

There are many forms of discipline and from my experiences, smacking is a much needed and efficient form.

What are your thoughts - let us know in the comments below.