Parents hitting their children in public, what do you think?

I'm so done you win this thread.

I agree with all of this. Verbal and physical abuse of children (wether public or private) disgusts me. If you can't try and reason with your kids, or find another disciplinary measure, then don't have kids at all.

Well that isn't fair since the majority of pregnancies are either unplanned or accidental.

I agree 100%.

@thitiki: That's a kind of scary GIF.

I'd rather see a parent disciplining an unruly child in public than watch a child run rampant without any guidance.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets slightly disturbed by it.

Anyone hitting their kid anywhere, any place or at any time should be beaten within an inch of their lives before being kicked off to jail for child abuse.

I'm talking about those who do plan to have kids. I'm all for contraceptives and know they can fail, and I'm sure having a child when you don't want/can't afford it must be more than a little overwhelming.
However I've heard a father (a friend of my father) who did in fact want a family ask his oldest son (and I quote) "I won't stop calling you an asshole if you don't stop pulling this kind of childish shit". He was 11 at best. Nothing takes a toll on your self-steem like being called an "asshole" by the person you admire most.
I think it should be obvious by now that my father and this guy are no longer friends :P

Good, I for one think they have a right too. If it'll make sure they don't do it again, more power to the punch.

Sometimes that kinda tough love is the only thing that will sear the message the parents trying to make. I doubt any caring father thinks their kids an asshole.

Bruh if my kids ever act up...

@dbvse7

@wolverine08

@ms-lola

@fallingcliffs

Imagine this.

You tell your specifically that he's allowed only one treat from the store when you go in. He picks out a candy bar, but then begs for another. When you tell him no, he falls to the ground, starts rolling around, and throwing a temper tantrum. Everyone is looking at you and shaking their head, mumbling incoherent whispers, but you can obviously tell they're shunning your parenting skills.

Your child is bawling his eyes out, making a scene. Do you get him the treat and submit to his authority, or do you show him who's in charge?

That's like saying there's no need to send a person to jail because they know what they did was wrong. As long as they apologize for going on a killing spree, then it's fine, no punishment needed.

None. I grab his arm and take him out of the candy bar. Or tell him I'd take his treat away from him.

I still don't think hitting your child is justified...

I'm sorry but I couldn't disagree more. I think if you tell your kid he's an asshole enough times he either grows up being one, or believing he's one.

@solar_powered: I show him who's "in charge" by ignoring his tantrum and not giving him what he's wants.

Oops. o.o

@surfingthehighway: Agreed. Hitting only escalates the problem.

@solar_powered: I'd just pick him or her up and run out of the store, calm him down instead of making a scene with him or hitting him. That's what my parents did with me, it worked for the most part. Your example, I saw something similar other day in a store I saw this mom say no to her kid wanting a candy bar. She hit him because he started crying, slapped him which honestly I felt was unnecessary, he wasn't really acting up just gently crying....then she dragged him out by the arm lifting him, he had to be 4 or 5. Just looked too rough honestly. Kids act like kids, it's the parents who often make the scene yelling at a 4 year old(which does nothing)

Regardless of the authority thing which kids learn with time, and you can explain that to him at home prior or after. Hitting a kid be it public or in private is a good way to scar your kid or make them hate you growing up. Point is, there's ALWAYS another way of showing authority with your kid or ways of getting what you want over hitting them.

@wolverine08: And you think it's good parenting to not have any control whatsoever over your own child?

@fallingcliffs: How specifically would you calm the child down?

@solar_powered: When did I say I'd have no control of the child? Not rewarding his tantrum with what he wanted is exactly what control is.

Discipline is good but people who don't discipline their kids with hits have a valid opinion on what is right and wrong…….. Corporal punishment is legal in most of the country and most of the world. I got wooped when I was a kid of course I didn't like it cause I was getting wooped lol but my mom had her hands full with raising me and my brothers….

Honestly if the intention is to discipline the kid because you love them and want them to know what they did was wrong I don't see why someone should tell them how to raise their kids….

Having them go to jail and have the kids go to foster homes certainly hurts the kid but if that makes you feel better.

I'd try a number of things, since I've had cousins to babysit lol. I don't have kids of my own yet but have had experience with babies fortunately.

There's trying to make them laugh, this may not work with every kid obviously but it's worth a try and I have luckily had success making kids laugh when they're crying. I can also do impressions so that helps lol.

A second option is giving them something else, say they wanted a toy and you offer them icecream or candy bar that can work too it also distracts their minds from something they previously wanted.

Could take them aside and tell them you'll get them that toy another time.

For more not so nice ways, you could threaten them no dinner, no toys for a month, no TV etc which can work but depending on the kid and situation could also potentially make things worse.

or could just take them home do whatever you gotta do let them cry it out and eventually they'll exhaust themselves out by themselves.

Please call the police if this happens. I know from personal experience how painful it can get, and the fear of telling anyone.

First off, who the hell cares about strangers who may or may not be judging your parenting skills? If someone made a comment to me in any way about a child under my care who was throwing a temper tantrum like you described, I'd love to take my frustration out on them and send them running. It wouldn't influence my reaction to the kid in any way. It's not his or her fault there's judgemental, ignorant idiots in the world.

I found it interesting you used the word "authority" when describing the child's intent and then the word "submit" on the part of the parent. It's not about who's in charge, either. This isn't a power struggle. It's about a kid who clearly loves candy bars and is trying to get one in any way he can. Having a fit and going all wild in the store isn't the best way to go about it and the answer is pretty simple. You leave the store, and he gets nothing. This teaches him that temper tantrums don't work. Hopefully he'll remember the lesson next time you guys head out to the store, and if he doesn't and pulls the same stunt, then repeat the previous actions. Repeat as often as necessary. It's a bitch to do, but the point is you are teaching rather than punishing. Sounds great in theory and there are a lot of factors that make this extremely difficult (a cartful of groceries, etc) so judging any parent for supposedly "submitting" to their child is wrong no matter what. I only care if that kid is getting beat. I have sympathy for anyone in that position, no matter how they deal with it to get that kid to stop. We don't know what's happening in their lives, mind your own damn business.

It's not a power struggle. You don't need to show or prove to your kids you are in charge, you just ARE. Hitting them to make them know it just makes you a large bully in their eyes. Wouldn't you rather they respect your authority, rather than fear it due to physical harm?

Also, punishment in the form of grounding them by taking away a favourite toy or playtime or television or whatever else that makes them enjoy themselves is pretty effective. No, seriously.

Did anyone else see that Barack Obama is beating his kids and wife?

This is why Parents should hit their kids.

To this Frogdog person:No, that's a poor example. Because one kid has issues every parent should hit their kids? Flawed logic. What about parents who strap their kids to radiators to "discipline them"

I actually saw that episode, the problem was that his mom wasnt around enough and was a enabler

Really. No one?

@frogdog: The mom kinda seems like she deserved it.

@ms-lola: So what do you do when you have a cart full of groceries?

Spank them. I'm being serious.

This is where I shut up and admit I have no idea. You can't exactly smack the kid in front of a lot of people, though. Seriously, where I am that would have you thrown in jail. And if the goal is to get the kid to stop crying, smacking them isn't going to make them stop. Wouldn't that make them cry more?