Since we climbed out of trees, mothers and fathers have disciplined their unruly children physically.
It’s a habit followed by nearly every mother and father in the animal kingdom.
Strange that, don’t you think?
But humans are far more advanced. We have language!
Smacking a child has progressed in concept from the word “discipline” to “physical abuse”. We must not do it any more. We say two adults that smack each other as using “physical abuse” against each other. They are adults. Two adult animals “smacking” each other might end up being a group skirmish.
Children are not adults. Cuffs are out, but real abuse has replaced them.
We are bringing up our children nowadays using mental abuse instead.
We must distract little Johnny when he attempts to put his hand in the fire, so that afterwards he has learned nothing about hands, or fire, or acceptable behaviour, or that putting one’s hand in the fire is not something he must do.
In a social situation, where little Johnny is misbehaving, leaping on the sofa, or biting his cousin, he is sent to sit all by himself in the “naughty corner” (like the old dunce) listening to the others in the distance carrying on without him. He sits there, rejected, hurt and confused. His immature internal philosophy does not suddenly well up to explain to him, his failure.
In both situations, a quick smack causes fast learning without using convoluted false and contrived mental manipulation.
Johnny knows putting his hand in the fire is not allowed which gives a secure parameter for future behaviour.
Johnny knows jumping on the sofa and biting his cousin, is not acceptable, but even so, he is NOT expelled from the group. Someone in the group will comfort him. Love returns more quickly.
A smack is instantaneous. It shows someone cares. It needs no manipulative language. It sets the rules for future behaviour. It is the way to train children in what is acceptable or not as they enter the world of grownups.
A smack is not “physical abuse” – it’s a quick, efficient, reprimand.
A smack is not a BEATING.
Making it illegal for a child to be smacked, is an intrusion into a parent’s/carer’s purpose – to transform small children from feral animals into secure, confident creatures.
This new move to make smacking our children a crime is just another action on a political journey to restructuring the family, removing its solidity and making parents/carers frightened. How to abuse and confuse our children through the manipulation of their minds is a big agenda. And we are allowing it!
The West has gone insane.
