If there was one thing that I was SURE about as a parent was that
spanking would be a part of my discipline routine for my son. I was
raised with spanking being a form of punishment and always thought
it was the 'normal' thing to do, that it came with the territory. Of
course I use it sparingly - only as a last result.
The Bible says in Proverbs 13:24(Go
to source: Crosswalk.com - pr 13)
"He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is
careful to discipline him." To me (and this is just my way of
interpreting this verse, my opinion) that says that we are to
discipline with spanking. I've never struggled with the issue until
just a few years ago and recently. In today's society you have to be
careful using physical discipline.
Our public schools teach kids, even as young as kindergarten, that
physical discipline is a form of abuse. I agree with the teachings
but yet I also disagree. The children that are being mistreated and
abused need to know that they have a right, that it's ok to tell
someone they are being hurt. Where I don't agree is that some,
probably not all, kids use this knowledge against their parents.
Anytime I find it appropriate to discipline with a spanking, my son
says to me that all he has to do is tell an adult at school that his
mom is abusing him and I'll get in trouble. He misconstrues the idea
of abuse and trys to use it against me.
So my question is as Christian parents should we be spanking our
children or not? What are your thoughts on this topic? I'd love to
hear them. (Share your
comments on the Blog!)
