A California lawmaker says she has proposed a law that would make spanking a small child a crime to be punished by jail time or a fine.Now personally, I have not ever had the need or reason to spank or smack my children. My wife is fundamentally opposed to using form of physical punishment, so it has not been an issue in my house. However, we also agree that if we try other forms of punishment, discouraging behavior, negative reinforcement, positive reinforcement, etc and we would consider spanking if we felt that was the only way to discipline our child. However, the point is this is our decision as parents. The right to make that decision is strictly up to the parents, I do not want under any circumstance the government telling me what I can and cannot do in my home, and this is exactly what this law begins to encroach upon. Don't get me wrong, I don't think a parent should beat their child, I don't think a parent should use excessive force, I don't think a parent should put their child in danger in an effort to discipline their children. In my opinion there is a huge difference between a one-off situation of spanking and discipline versus a long term case of child abuse.
The bill, backed by Democrat Sally Lieber of San Francisco, a member of the state legislature, would outlaw spanking children three years old or younger and carry a possible penalty of jail time or a 1,000-dollar fine.
"I think it's pretty hard to argue you need to beat a child three years old or younger," said Lieber, who plans to introduce the bill next week.
I also agree with the guys over at Dadcentric, who said the following:
Listen, I know some parents choose to spank and I know others do not. It's your business. That is until you do some harm to your child, then it's no longer your business. At the same time, it's not up to the government to tell you how to parent either. As far as I can tell, abuse is still against the law and if you abuse your children, the same should be inflicted on you ten-fold. You break an arm, Vinny ovah heah breaks boat and a knee-cap fah good meazhah.
It is always funny to me that you need a license to fish, but anyone can be a parent, but hey that is just me.
7 comments:
If they think that spanking a child is bad for the child, wouldn't sending one of the parents to jail at such an early age be worse?
I think that some physical dicipline is necessary for children at young ages. When a person is that young, they do not realy respond to or even understand any reason and they can become quite stubborn. The only thing that they will respond to is pain, and a little pain can be a good thing. My brother was not punished with a spanking or anything when he was young, and now he is the most stubborn person I know.
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Being a parent is a damn hard thing to do, in fact probably the most challenging yet rewarding thing any of us are likely to do in our lives.
The word 'spank' invokes all sorts of feelings and comments, especially with regard to young children.
Im not one for 'spanking' either, although wouldn't have a problem with some light chastisement, it really isnt the awful thing people suggest.
It sounds cliched perhaps, but I got the odd clout from my mum when i was little. I dont think it did me too much harm.
Children need discipline in their lives, sometimes a corrective tap can be useful.
It doesn't help to have state interference.People know the difference between abuse and corrective punishment. I think the courts really have better things to do than have their time filled with unecessary filings.
Although, how would it work in reality? Would the sub 3 year old go and rat their parents to the police perhaps.
The world is fullof crackpot legislators with nothing better to do
UK,
I agree that legislators must have way too much time on their hands to be considered this type of law. There is no way any kid under 3 can understand and communicate the outside law. My daughter is almost 2 1/2 and the only thing she really knows is mommy and daddy, and the rules we have implemented.
All this will do is add a major headache to any parent who needs to discipline their toddler in public. Can you imagine the kid who does not listen or act appropriately running amuck if their parents are unable to do anything in public?
I think one of the main problems here is that they, don't seem to define the difference between a parent who will give a slap on the hand. Or the other end of the spectrum whereby the parents are abusive.
With my boys, yes they got a slap on the hand, which was more aimed at danger ie near something hot etc.
Personally in my experience, if a child is just being naughty, then it's for a reason! They are tired, or might even just want attention. Smacking them at that juncture would just make them even more upset.
Seeing as though my eldest is now 14 and taller than me, I think he was laugh if I tried to smack his botty! With teens it can be more frustrating than anything he dished out under the age of 3!
Wow, I could have been sent up the river for a year. I live in Cali (the Left Coast. I could have received 2 years but my son was 4 the second time I spanked him. This is absurd.
I have one son. I spanked him 2 times by the time he was 4 and never had to spank him again. He's a very well adjusted 17-year-old now. My brother has a son the same age and never spanked him. Their family choice was time-out and you know what my nephew is a very well adjusted 17 year old.
Parenting should be left to parents not legislators. I do think children need to be protected from abuse but reasonable people can differentiate between discipline and abuse and we already have laws on the books for child abuse.
This is a stupid bill. It’s a bunch of Poo! (Check out the Scrubs musical above)
Makes me glad I live in Oklahoma. Spanking is legal here. I've used my hand to do it but it is few and far between.
I think this is ridiculous. We were all spanked growing up. When kids are so young that there is nothing that will make them stop their behavior (and you've tried it all) then spanking is the only thing left. I think all the parents that didn't spank their kids are the reason we have such bratty teens and young adults today. Oh and my state considers any spanking child abuse. Just a swat on the butt is violence! Child abuse! I obviously don't agree.
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