Many people have different beliefs when it comes to the discipline of their child(ren). Some believe that spanking them is okay, while others disagree. I grew up in a household where your punishment depended on what you did. Sometimes, it was time out, sometimes it was a spanking. I'm not writing this to critize anyones choice of parenting styles. To each his own.

I believe in the same way I was raised. For example, if I talked back to my parents or any other adult, I got spanked. If I didn't do my homework as I was told, I was grounded. There is a fine balance that you have to keep when you decide to use any for of physical punishments with kids. For they are more frigile than adults, both physically and emotionally. If you're not careful, you can seriously hurt and traumatize a child by crossing that fine line.

I have seen countless times, in grocery stores, malls, etc.., a child who acts out of line and whose parent does abosolutely nothing. Whether it is for fear of reprisal or because they don't believe in spanking. On the other hand, I have seen just as many times, parents who are to quick to hit or shout and curse at their children for practically nothing. When I first had children, I swore that my kids would never be those kids and that I would never be those parents.

I believe that spanking is a good form of discipline as a last resort. We have tried different forms of discipline with our kids and found out that is does help keep their behavior in line. When we tried the "Nanny 911" style, our kids actually behaved worse. They were carefree about time outs and about getting rewarded for good behavior. It build tension and agression between my kids, because whoever didn't get the treat took it out on who did. It just didn't work for us. That's not to say it won't work for anyone else. Just not in this house lol. Since we started the "ladder" system, we rarely have to discipline our kids, they behave really well, and no longer fight like they did with the other way. They have become more polite, respectful, and better behaved. The ladder system for us is:

1st strike=a verbal correction

2nd strike=time out and a lecture

3rd strike=spanking

I've talked to several people, friends, and family and they all agree that this works really well in their households as well. So is spanking child abuse? No. There is a major difference between spanking and beating you kid. Common sense should tell you what that is. If you take a belt to a 2 year old, that is abuse. If you hit your child repeatedly for one mistake, that is abuse. If you're yelling and curse at them whether you hit them or not, that is child abuse. NO child should ever endure that. Now I'm sorry to say this, but if you're at a store and you're child won't listen and is out of control, you need to spank them. Or find some way to get them under control.

Out of control, wild, destructive behavior, especially when started young and is not corrected, is unhealthy for both the child and parent. It sets the tone for his or her life. They will be more likely to have trouble in school, with their peers, and out in the world in general. So I recommend, that you try different things to see what works with your kids. But, if you feel as though you're losing your temper, DO NOT spank them. That is when you are most likelu to cross the line and abuse them. Give yourself time to calm down and gather your senses than address the discipline with a level head. So I wish you all luck in finding your parenting style. Parenting is all about learning as you go, so don't get fustrated if the first thing doesn't work.