Thank you so much for posting your beautiful comment. It’s refreshing (and comforting!) to know there are other women who visit this website with views like yours. You brought up some great points, and I really enjoyed reading your post.

To All,

I hope that those moms who do spank always do so in “private.” I was at a holiday party in an upscale part of town with classy and intelligent people. Unfortunately, the granddaughter of the host brought her children along and repeatedly raised her voice at her kids and even swatted one of her kids in front of the guests. It made for a very uncomfortable situation, and even worse, how embarrassing for the child she swatted. I know she was just a young, frustrated Christian mom trying to do her best, but her behavior was very inappropriate.

I am called to be Christ. To display the fruit of the spirit in my life towards my children. I view my kids: just as sinful as I view myself, just as much in need of grace and mercy of Christ as I am, wanting to do what’s right, but sometimes making the choice to not do it.

I look at Jonah. God called Jonah to obey. God allowed Jonah to choose. Jonah made a choice. God allowed him to make that choice, allowed him to suffer the natural/logical consequences of that choice and Jonah learned, he took responsibility for that choice and made a right choice. I think the best thing for our kids is to give them lots and lots of choices and then allow them to learn from those choices. We can’t force obedience, we can’t force potty training, eating, sleeping, we can’t force accepting Christ. They are all choices our kids have to make for themselves. I vote for choices and logical/natural conseqences. Check out the book, LOVE & LOGIC. A great book! I’ve read Shep. a Child’s Heart and I think the idea of the heart is great. The method is not.

To the lady refering to kid these days and how “bad” they are. The world is bad. Families are falling apart insie and outside of the church. I don’t think it is do to a lack of spanking, but due to the disfunciton of the family.

By no means I use caps in a yelling matter. They were used because I felt it needed to be noticed. Yes I have tried to use other methods of correcting my boys, like time out, no t.v or games, etc.. Yes some of it has worked in the past and continues to work. Although there are times it doesn’t and that’s when I go to spanking. Like I had said before no mother likes to spank their child but when nothing else works sometimes you have to. I don’t find it to be violent at all. I consider “violent” to be when it’s done out of anger or spanked to the point where marks or bruses are left. Which I have never done. Yes I do make mistakes as an adult and it would be kinda silly to get a spanking. I would much rather have the physical spanking rather than some of the other things we as adults have to go through when we mess up. As an adult we pay for our mistakes daily. God corrects us for our mistakes in many ways.

Wanted to add that using all caps comes off in cyberworld as if you’re yelling, and it can also come across as though you’re talking down to the other person. I’m sure you didn’t mean it as that, but I just wanted to make you aware.

I agree that love is the most important thing. If we don’t have love as Christians, then nothing else really matters. I have sadly met many very strong Christians who were so legalistic that they forgot all about love and compassion.

While spanking can work, so can other, non-violent ways of discipline. In the European countries that have “banned” spanking, teen violence has gone “down.” So “not” spanking also works.

I am certain that there are other methods you could have used with your boys to nip their bad language in the bud other than spankings that would have worked just as well.

I believe that when children obey simply out of “fear,” that they can too easily end up with feelings of resentment and rebellion. While negative reinforcement is sometimes necessary, it doesn’t have to be violent, and “teaching” right from wrong and discussing things goes a lot further than a spanking, and I think this does a lot to maintain respect between both parent and child.

Also, I’m sure that you as an adult sometimes make mistakes. Do you feel you should be spanked? If your son accidently used a bad word but then immediately corrected himself and said he was sorry, there should then be absolutely no reason for a spanking…. I hope you at least agree with that?

I would like to start off by saying that everyone is entitled to their own opion and views about the Bible. You can take one verse from the Bible and read it today and then read the same verse in week, you will more than likely apply it in diffrent ways, depending on how things are in your life at that point in time.

Now going back to spanking your child. Has any sat down and thought about the children and teens in the world today? What about school shootings and kids killing kids? For a fact I can tell you the parents of alot of these children had never spanked them. Maybe a spanking while growing up EVEN AFTER THE AGE OF FIVE would have corrected their problems. I feel like most of you as a mom that spanking is sometimes harsh but only if it’s not done with LOVE or done in ANGER.

I am a mother of 3 great little boys, 9 yrs old, 5 yrs. old & a 3month old. Without a doubt I love my children with all my heart and would lay down my life for them. By saying that I do firmly believe in spanking my 2 oldest boys. Now we as a christian family do not speak curse words, use drugs, or drink. My 5 yr. old has added a new word to his speaking (curse word). The first time I heard hime say this word I sat him down and let him know we would talk this way and if I hear it again then he would recieve a spanking. That was his warning. Well he has used the word a few times since and yes I did follow up with the spanking.The last time he said it he knew that it was wrong and knew he would recieve a spanking and he did. He has not said it for some time now. This worked with my 9 year old and thus far has worked with my 5 year old. No they do not go around people who say these words but they are in school and hear all diffrent things. It’s our job as parents to teach them that it is not what christians say and Jesus is sad when we do it. (I have found out that telling children Jesus is sad work alot better until they reach the age to understand more.

sisterinchrist,

As a child I was to spanked but I was spanked all the time. You see my father was a drunk and far from God (now he is a very respected child of God and an outstanding decon of a church). He I guess you would say beat us as kids and even as teens. No I am not one with low confidence or even intimidated. Yes i knew that sometimes I knew that I was going to get a “spanking” because I had done something wrong and knew better. It only took once or twice and then I didn’t do it again. I consisder myself to be a well rounded person & thank my parents for spankings, it tought me right from wrong. I also believe a child should remember a spanking so in the future they know not to do it again. So what if it’s after the age of 5. What I mean by that is, what if your teen has gotten into your meds. (that were put in a safe place you thought) and took them to school and and passed them out to 9 & 10 year old children and told them it was candy. Now your child has gotten caught and kicked out of school (mind you after the children had taken them), how would you correct him? Well this happened to young boys and girls at my sons school. I personaly know the childs parents and no they do not spank, they talk. I feel a good old fashion spanking every once in awhile is fine and should be done with LOVE along with a talk on why it should never happen again.

No the Bible never says to spank a child on their BOTTOM but it worse to be hit in the mouth or on the hand where there is no fat. I know. So where should it be done? By spanking a child on their bottom is not in anyway a form of sexual abuse. IT’S CALLED JUST WHAT IT IS A SPANKING! By saying that the only people allowed to spank my children are me and their father, grandparents, and the principle at school. My boys are very good children. I know that I have done a good job thus far because just a ouple of months ago my oldest was saved and baptized. So something is working.

I can also say there are some children that never need a spanking and respond to a “verbal spanking” or talking to. That’s great and how lucky are the parents of those children. I wish I never had to spank my boys but they do wrong just like most all other boys and a talking to doesn’t always work.

In closing,

I would like to tell everyone it really doesn’t matter how we believe or our opions. All that matters is that we believe in the same LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST OUR GOD. I thank when we get to heaven God will correct us on our belifes and opions. My prayer is not weather or not children should be spanked. It is that our children be loved, be shown love, and most of how to love. If they are tought how to love just think of how much of a better world this woul be. No killing, no gangs, no drugs, no guns, no hate towards other. How gret that would be! Before we can teach our children to love we must have God in our heart and love ourself.

May God Bless all of you

Where in the bible (one that is properly translated from Greek or Hebrew, like the ESV or the NASB) does it say to hit your child on their rear end if they misbehave?