Smacking

[Potter]

Hi, My youngest boy aged 8 was recently sick on the carpet so i smacked, not hard but enough to know what he was doing was wrong, the problem was he enjoyed the smack and is now being naughty on purpose, what should i do?

[Clanad]

Let me make sure I understand what your are saying. You hit your child because he threw up? Don't really have answer for that mentality...

[MrsCheeks]

snap clanad!! Potter you should be ashamed of yourself for reacting in such a manner to a child - or anyone for that matter - who was sick.

[andy hughes]

I must express surprise that you disciplined your child for an accident - that sends a mixed message - as you have discovered. As to the notion that 'enjoyed' the smack - maybe he thought you were playing a game? You need to explore other snactions since you do not appear to deploy this measure correctly, and it should really only be a very last measure in extreme circumstances.

[jamestate]

I'm shocked that you smacked your child for being sick. But, since you've already taken this path and there's no turning back, I suggest you hit your child with something much harder and larger. That way he won't enjoy it as much, if at all.

[georgit79]

People, you all seem to be jumping the gun a bit. Perhaps the boy told his mum he was going to be sick, but then refused to go to the toilet...could have happened. This does seem to be a very strange occurence though- could you try and explain yourself a bit better, Potter?

[dragonfly]

I think it is awful to smack a child just for being sick even if he had been told to go to the toilet sometimes it cant be helped where you are sick. The best thing to do is ignore the bad behaviour and praise the good. Some people on this thread are being abusive and very irresponsible with their answers. Smacking a child harder and depriving them of food is no way to treat them.

[wonky]

im with the majority on this one! i disagree with any kind of punishment for anything that a child doesnt do deliberately BUT smacking because your child was sick on the floor is absolutly beyond me. (as always i have a boring childhood story) i was a very sick child upto 20-30 times a day luckly my mum wasnt as harsh as you otherwise i would have been black and blue!! poor kid!!!

[Scarlett]

Just goes to show that no good can come of smacking children...

[secretspirit]

Perhaps he's doing naughty things because the negative attention i.e. the smacking, is the only type of attention he can get. Now he's discovered a way to get you to notice him he'll keep doing it unless you spend other quality time with him.

[bernardo]

I am completely astonished at your actions. Smacking a child at any age for any reason is an assault, and as far as I am concerned, should be regarded as such by the law just as much as an assault by one adult on another. I was smacked as a child, and it never did me any good. It took many more years than it would otherwise done before I was able to appreciate what my parents were doing. The only effect which a smack has on a child is that it teaches the child that you are a violent person who believes that assaulting people (rather than talking logically) is somehow acceptable.

In any case, being sick on the carpet is an unfortunate accident which happens as a result of an illness, and is not in any way "wrong" or "naughty".

What you "should do" about it is clear up the sick and comfort your child in his illness, rather than assaulting him.

[zgma]

You wrote "what should i do?" What you should do is seek out nonviolent parenting classes, and if that doesn't help, perhaps anger management classes. And you should stop smacking the child immediately.

[FP]

I am finding it very hard to believe that this question was genuine. What sort of person would smack a child for being sick on a carpet and then admit it?!

[dirtyharriet]

I don't believe this is a genuine question either. It has sexual undertones.

[FP]

That is what I thought when I first saw the posting, dirtyharriet