In Parenting today we watched a pleasant little video called- Shaking, Hitting, and Spanking :What to do instead. Basicly this movie told all of us that if we spank our children, we have the self control of an ape and our children will end up as alcoholics in prison. Our teacher asked the question today "Is spanking ever OK and why?" Personally, I think that it's fine. I hated my parents for it when they did it to me, but let's face it. I was (well, am) a little brat who deserved it. These psychologists on the movie were talking about how "Oh, it will ruin the child's self-esteem and will make him feel bad about him self." First of all, according to the high and holy textbook, punishment is supposed to make a child regret the behavior. If we are self concious about hurting their self esteem, and use the examples that they did in the movie, I think that kids have a better chance of becoming brats than if we spank them. For example, in one of the little clips about the evils of punishment, a mother tells her son to come in for dinner (repeatedly) and finally he says, "No, I'm playing. You can't make me." And the mother tells him that if he doesn't come in this instant, then he will never see his bike again. According to the video, the mother should be more tolerent, and give him "transition time" and allow him 5-10 minutes more to play on his bike. Or she should use a sense of humor. But she should never take his bike away. And if she does, then she should praise everything that he does right. Ok, even as a child I find this ridiculous. I know that if I were to tell my mother "NO" (as I have before, no amens please) then she would (and does) smack my mouth and I would find myself, as usual, grounded. A.) My mother would not give me 5-10 minutes and B.) she would not have a sense of humor. Why is it that now everything that parents say is optional, even in the eyes of other adults? What ever happened to "my way or the highway"? Parenting is giving me a bad attitude.
I wonder what my attitude is going to be like when I actually have kids?
3 comments:
well chica, let's not find out for about 10 years or so, 'mmkay?
I can deal with that. That baby simulator proved that. lol
One of the whole ideas behind the parenting class is to give you a bad attitude about having kids too early!!! (I think you have successfully gotten that point!) I still stand behind the corporal punishment line! It worked just fine for my girls, and it seems to be working pretty well with David Riley. If you correct properly and consistently, it truly makes the child regret his/her error, and actually increases their self-esteem.
I agree with Liz, though, let's wait several years before you have to put into practice all of the knowledge you have gained in this class. (Unless, of course, you decided to be a Nanny.)
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