Were you smacked as a child?

This was me too! The joys of the West Indian up bringing. My Mum's one was "shut up before I give you something to cry about" Erm really, cuz that beating wasnt enough haha

Yes. My Dad did the discipline, Mum was the informer. When doing something bad - nit jyst kiddie bad but morally bad, lying or something - Mum would send me to my room to wait for Dad to get home. Slipper, proper bare bottom stuff. Sounds dreadful now but honestly, never felt it unfairly meted, always consistent. Maybe, I don't know, 10 times in my childhood. Other main measures included grounding and removal of games console etc. This was a court room like decision, with a full discussion of why the penalty had been delivered. I never ever got the impression they did any kind of discipline out of anger.

Yep. Only ever once by my dad- he left a hand shaped bruise on my thigh ?

My mum would smack me all the time. I dont think its ever done me any harm though? I would smack my children if I had any and I thought they needed it.

Haha this sounds so much like my house. My dad worked away so my mam did all the disciplining but she used to sit us in the sitting room and tell us exactly what punishments were happening and why.

She also got so annoyed with us leaving crap all over the house that at the end of each day she used to gather everything up and put it in a pile in the living room. The three of us had to sit on the sofa while she gave each item to its owner. For every item we had 50p deducted from our pocket money. She didn't have to do it very many times!

The sad thing is not that I was smacked so often, but that looking back now it was mainly because they lost their temper.

My mum was never any good at grounding, I used to annoy her too much.

My brothers are right little scrotes now (they're 21 and 19) and they run rings around my mum and dad. Maybe they need a good hiding with the wooden spoon?

I've never smacked my daughter. I've inherited my mum's glare...

At the risk of being horribly controversial, I think I'd choose to use smacking as a disciplinary measure for any of my own children. Not sure the State looks favourably on it though...

I had my arse smacked when I was younger, most people I knew did.

My kids are good on the whole and don't have to tell them off much, never smacked them but they are aware that I would consider it as a punishment if they did something really naughty.

WSS

probably best I dont have kids eh?!

I've never smacked my son either. One look and he knows to behave. My step kids are scared sh!tless of my glare.

I wouldn't but that is purely because I don't think it did me any good and (IMO) there are much more effective ways of disciplining. I know that if I used smacking as a means of discipline I would probably end up doing it whilst in a temper, which is 100 times worse than a controlled smack on the bottom.

I'm not saying I never would, I've just never needed too.

Likewise.

I think that some kids these days show no fear, they near to have that fear installed back into them.

I don't think I'd want my kids to be fearful of a smack from me?

My brothers would probably fit into your statement above, and they were smacked quite badly just like myself and it hasn't done them an ounce of good. They have no respect for anyone, least of all my parents.

I think I *would* want my kids to be fearful of a smack from me. Not a random whack. But I think a bit of fear for consequences would do wonders for a lot of children...

I agree with this.

I dont think the idea is that children will be scared that a smack is going to hurt? I know for me it was the realisation that I had been really bad and needed to be punished. I would want my children to know that they had done something very wrong and that there are concequences to thier actions as oposed to be fearful that they would be hurt by me.

If you knew the kids I did, you would.

EXACTLY THIS

Exactly!

Some kids these days show no fear and do what they want, when they want, where they want and they know nothing will happen.

When I was younger, we knew that if we were naughty we would be punished.

Why? What do they do that is so bad?

Surely if they had been raised to respect their parents and others in the first place then they wouldn't be how they are now?

I'm not saying that I don't want my kids to fear consequences, of course I would. I just wouldn't want those consequences to be violent ones.

I don't think I'd want them to think 'I better not do that because mum will smack me'.