As a brainwashed daycare worker for years, I used to buy into the “never spank a child” idea ( I still believe if it is not your child, you never have a right to spank them), but I ALWAYS could tell the parents who spanked their kids and who didn’t. The wild bully bratty kids were always the non-hitting homes. I dreaded those kids the most. They were self centered, unruly kids who were always non-cooperative and the hitters of the class, constantly hitting or biting. After years and years of seeing this, once I had my own kids I realized some spanking would do them service for long term good.

But it was rarely needed, why? because I actually read and understood the message of the Pearls…the whole point of their book was not to spank your kids, the message is to first build a loving relationship, a tight bond with your child that they just naturally want to follow you. Second, that you train them for situtations that may prove difficult for them to behave in. So my kids did training . We would walk around the house and I would say, “stop” and the kids would stop. I would say, “walk” and the kids would walk. we made a fun time of it. When we would go to the store, I just employed all that training and only once did a child have an outburst…for a pink dress with feathers…ha!
We just all got along…when did they get spanked you might wonder? one child could not leave our cat’s tail alone, and as she could be mean, I chose to spank the child and told them pulling her tail hurts like that. and she will hurt you more if you keep pulling her tail…done…no more pulling. and no cat scratch.
so some of you can feel self righteous about not hitting, but believe me…we all see that you don’t hit and wished that you did…but on the other hand, like one lady said…to always spank for “Unhappy attitudes” or “not eating dinner” when that is not their heart…Yikes! –That is over kill too…

I tell you as a fellow mother, we love our kids and do the best we can. And we want our child to grow and be great people. but it is all a gamble, there are people who never hit their kids and some turn out good and some turn out bad. and there are abusive parents who some kids turn out great and some turn out bad, there are siblings who all turn out differently yet were all raised the same…parenting is not a one-way fits all, we just never know do we?

Just love them with honesty, make tight relationship bonds and the mistakes won’t be so noticable…