December 1, 2008

How Do You Tame A Bear?


Growing up in East Tennessee as the son of a father born in 1936, suffice it to say I got my rear-end blistered when I disobeyed or acted up.

I've been spanked with about every object known to mankind (switches, belts, hands, books and a crazy experience with a wooden spoon).

Although this is fairly extreme for most, I turned out to be pretty normal and didn't resent my parents for "disciplining" me in this way.  I always knew they loved me...and I always loved them.

As a father of two small boys, I'm not wanting to discipline them in the same way.  I do believe in "spanking" but think there is a right time (and a right way) to do it.

We have an 18 month old who is testing us in about every way possible.  We really haven't spanked him when he starts to throw a fit, smacks us or hits his baby brother.   We've just said, "NO-NO" and that is about it.  We've tried "time-out" but that seems a little weird as well.

How do you discipline an 18 month old?  He's so little and cute (as you can see), we can't imagine spanking him.  However, I don't want to set a precedent that he can get away with whatever he wants. 

 Thoughts?

1 comment:

Manda said...

I by no means am someone who is going to recomend spanking or not recomend it, I think that is a very personal choice. I do, however, think that consistency is important, and that the efect that he is so "little and cute" should not be the determining factor in rather or not you should employ a disciplinary tactic. There are plenty of good arguments for spanking, and plenty of good ones against it (I'll leave that to you). My point is just that being a mom is sometimes not fun (as I've found out) and being cute CAN'T be a reason to not do something tough (that happened with my oldest and she STILL thinks looking cute will save her from everything in life)