Wow, it's been a minute since I've posted anything on here. Life has been super crazy. I have gone back to school full time, I still work full time and of course the kids, the boyfriend and house and all that banana goodness that comes along with life! Needless to say, I'm tired. Running on fumes I'd even go so far as to say. But this isn't about how tired I am. This is about discipline. There are so many different views now a days regarding discipline. Do you stand on the spanking side of the fence or the side of the fence that has a kinder, gentler way? Personally, I stand on the spanking side. Maybe you agree. Maybe you don't. Either way, that doesn't change my stance. I was spanked as a child. I can tell you that I learned lessons. I learned respect and that my parents meant business. Maybe you can teach those things without a good butt whooping, but let me tell you, that butt whooping works.
Now, I don't want you to think that I beat my kids black and blue. That's just too far. I don't hit them with a closed fist either. I spank them on their bottoms. Open handed. Or once (and it only took one time) with a wooden spoon. Now all it takes is the threat of getting the spoon to get my point across. Does this make me a bad parent because I use physical discipline? Have times really changed that much from when we were growing up that spanking our children is no longer acceptable? If the warnings and the time outs have not gotten the point across, I think that a spanking is perfectly fitting. Children need boundries. They need to know that we are the parents. We are not their best friends. Like my own friend told her kids (and now I tell mine) when they said "I hate you", she would say "Good, I'm doing my job". Our kids aren't suppose to like us. They are suppose to respect us. It's our jobs to teach them the correct way to behave in the world. We are shaping the future adults of our world. Or even better, the future teenagers. Do you like the way these teenagers walk around? Maybe if they got a wooden spoon across their ass every now and then, things would be different. Who knows?
I love my children. I love them enough to not let them act like crazy people in public and think that they will get away with it. You want to throw a fit in the middle of a restaurant? Let's go to the car and straighten out your thought process. I do not want my kids to be that guy who grows up and has no idea how he is suppose to behave in public and expects everyone to do everything for them. Ungrateful for the life they have and the things that have been provided to them. But still, it's hard to follow through. When I have to be the tough guy and spank them, put them in time out or ground them from tv or whatever they seem to be into at the time, it's hard. Livi told me today "you broke my heart, now I have no heart". This was after a serious spanking after drinking some "lost my mind juice" and not listening or behaving all afternoon. (Where she got that juice, I'd like to know so I can discipline whoever gave it to her!) I know she was tired. But is that really an excuse? Do you really let your kid go batshit crazy just because they are tired? 'Oh it's cool baby, just throw your fries all over the place cause you wanted a burger instead of chicken nuggets. I know you tired, that's ok.' What are we teaching our children if we allow that behavior? That as long as you have an excuse you can do whatever you want? I don't think so. Not in my house. And you can say "I don't love you, I hate you, You don't love me" all day long. It doesn't matter. I love you and that's why I discipline you. But when their behinds stop hurting in about 10 minutes, my heart will still hurt from my little baby saying those things. I guess that's why we say, "this will hurt me more then it will hurt you."
