Did your parents ever hit you as punishment?

I think I got spanked once or twice but it was not typical. More often I was just grounded or had other privileges removed.

I don't generally agree with spanking. I don't think it's horrible, just probably not very effective. My daughter is pretty well behaved and I've never felt even close to resorting to it. By contrast, my brother spanks his children regularly and it seems to have no effect. I've noticed the same thing with others who spank. It almost seems like more of an emotional outlet for angry parents than a way of altering a child's behavior.

I got an occasional spanking from my parents. I even got a spanking at school in the first grade. It changed my behavior that's for sure.

I was spanked, never seemed like a big deal. Was planning on doing the same to my kids until a pediatrician pointed out the obvious contradiction of telling kids not to solve their problems with violence while sending the opposite message with your disciplinary methods.

I think it is a terrible thing for parents to hit their kids and it affected me greatly.

Maybe I am just too sensitive, but it was traumatic for me whenever I got hit. The anger shown was pretty scary for a kid to experience.

that really chaps my ass wrote:

I was spanked, never seemed like a big deal. Was planning on doing the same to my kids until a pediatrician pointed out the obvious contradiction of telling kids not to solve their problems with violence while sending the opposite message with your disciplinary methods.

No contradiction at all if you just add some nuance to the message and teach them not to solve their problems with violence unless they are bigger and stronger than the other guy. This message goes along with the general American attitude anyway.

I was never spanked, but my dad would sometimes hit me when he lost his temper. I generally remember being really angry at him and imagining my revenge, but it didn't help my behavior much.

Don't hit your kids when you're angry

Anyone who hits another person, weaker than themselves, is a coward. Parents are no exceptions.

Parents who do such a thing belong in prison, or the morgue.

Used to get spanked. Then as we got older, my parents got the idea of making us do pushups instead. Punishment was "give me 20", or "give me 50", depending on the severity of our crime.

If we smarted off, then the number was raised. It sucked. My record was starting with 20 and then talking back so much that it was raised to 200 (in increments of 20). My arms hurt so bad after that.

I was never hit as a kid and I think I only hit one of my kids once. My oldest was giving lip and was sent to her room but didn't go and didn't stop giving lip. I think my behavior was probably more due to my frustration. (She went to her room afterwards)

Yes, my father (never my mother) spanked me on occasion. The spankings were minor and I probably deserved them, but I can remember feeling intense anger and hatred for my father afterward. As a result, I would never employ spanking or hitting as a form of punishment- ever.

PS- I have a good/close relationship with my father to this day, so it certainly didn't cause lasting damage.

I was hit by my mother a couple of times. She used a stick. She recently bragged to my wife about getting so mad at me she chased me out of the house with a 2x4. 30 years later, hearing it made me want to beat her up. Of course I didn't because I have a conscience.

Twice by my dad that I can remember. Both times I really deserved it and was not hurt

The extended verbal lashing from my mum was always far worse!

My dad used to do another thing with me and my sister when we were really youg- he would send us upstairs, waiting to get spanked. It never happened but waiting for it shut us up!

I don't like seeing kids routinely spanked for minor things though.

my dad used to spank me from time to time as a kid, there was one particular time though where he lost it a bit and spanked/hit me repeatedly while i was trying to crawl under my bed, very truamatic,

fast forward to when I was 16, my parents had since split up (mom realized my dad was hitting her and me) and he tried to hit me again, but I was older/stronger/ smarter etc. this time I fought back and nothing ended well, broken book shelves, phone pulled out of the wall by him

all in all, terrible form of dissapline and caused and causes me many problems and trust issues to this day, I am 23 now

Listen you pussies -- getting your ass spanked is not that bad. Yes, it stings for a couple of minutes, and after that it's gone. I was spanked CONSTANTLY throughout childhood -- as were my brothers.

I'm not talking about "beatings" (punches, kicks, bleeding, bruising, etc.) Getting your ass smacked is a good way to curtail a behavior. You don't want the brat to engage in a certain behavior, you make them associate the behavior with PAIN.

Heck yeah.....I got smacked quite a bit when I was a kid - never with anything other then a hand (maybe I got a belt once)....With that being said, I deserved every last one of them...I grew up in a loving family and love both my parents and don't begrudge them for any of the punishments that they gave out....If anything, I was more pissed when I got grounded and missed out on stuff I had planned....And I'm also 40 so discipline was looked at much differently back then

Yeah, I was spanked once but only once when I was 5 or 6. I was being a complete bratface and totally deserved it.

Positive reinforcement is a MUCH MUCH more effective way of shaping behaviour in young children than is punishment. Any psychologist will tell you to reward the good behaviours and you'll see fewer and fewer of the bad behaviours, so when you do have to resort to punishment, it's FAR more effective. They'll probably also tell you that one or two swats on the butt, over the course of a childhood, for egregious behaviour is okay.

If unconditional love and warmth toward your kid(s) is the norm-- which includes straightforward boundaries for behaviour, and explicit explanations for the rules you have-- the instances of punishment (which will inevitably occur to even the sweetest kid) will be more effective. Plus, you'll probably have a generally well-behaved kid and a solid relationship with them.

I think the first time you see a kid running with a panicked look in his eyes from his parent is the last time you consider spanking as a reasonable form of punishment.

Yes. My parents used to take a belt and hit us. When I talk to them about that now, you can tell they regret it.

Once, when my youngest was about 5 and really misbehaving, I briefly lost it and pushed him and he fell onto the couch. I am lucky I didn't hurt him. It is a moment I still wish I had back. And one I will never repeat.

Punishing a kid by hitting him says a lot more about a lack of control on the parent's end than anything behaviorally with the child. It isn't easy and they stress you out like you can't believe, but I don't see how any good comes out of hitting your kid.