an icepick through the keyhole

I was very lucky to grow up in a household where I wasn't beaten, but very occasionally spanked, and twice in my life, smacked on the face by my mother. I admittedly still hold a little bit of a grudge for the facial hits, but not for the spankings. Mom is now of the opinion that any kind of physical discipline is abuse, and gave me hell every time I spanked my own children, which was rarely.

I believe there is a difference between spankings and beatings. I don't believe in using anything other than a hand to spank, nor do I believe in hitting any part of the body but the bottom, or in some circumstances a mild slap to the hands. I don't believe in hitting out of anger. And I don't see any problem with a healthy bit of fear (not terror) to keep kids behaving. Even as an adult, many of us are motivated to do things the way others want them done because of fear. We fear getting yelled at, we fear getting abandoned, we fear getting fired.

I guess corporal punishment is a lot like a gun. It isn't bad in itself, but how you choose to use it makes a whole lot of difference.