Spanking Considerations for Parents

To spank or not to spank kids. Mention spanking and you’ll get a variety of responses.

“I would never hit my child,” stated one mom firmly in a parenting class.

Another mom responded, “It’s the most effective form of discipline I use.”

Two ends of the spectrum.

Is spanking okay? The answer is, “Sometimes.”

Children need boundaries. Spanking can be a method of enforcing the boundaries. But there are situations where it is not the best form of discipline to use.

Spanking Considerations
• Never use spanking as a form of discipline if there is a history of physical abuse.
• Mom and Dad need to be on the same page if spanking is to be used.
• Use with children under five years of age.
• Use the hand, not an object (wooden spoon, etc.). The pressure is best determined by the parent’s hand.
• Only Mom and Dad administer spankings.
• If the situation is out of control and the parent is too angry, don’t spank.
• Use spanking as a last resort, after all other ways of changing a behavior have been tried.
• If the child defiantly responds with, “That didn’t hurt,” the days of spanking are finished.

Keep in mind, “Spare the rod, spoil the child” (Proverbs 13:24) as a wise saying, but it does not mean parents should beat their children with a stick to get them to behave. Disciplining with love, choosing to teach a child right from wrong and how to behave, is the responsibility of the parent. Spanking is just one means of changing a behavior. Used sparingly, it can be effective.

Endure hardships as discipline; God is treating you as his children.
For what children are not disciplined by their father?
Hebrews 12:7

© 2019 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.

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