The prosecuting attorney should quit interfering with a parent responsibly disciplining her child.

There is nothing wrong with disciplining your children even in public. That's what's wrong with alot of children now days they don't get disciplined or corrected when needed. If more kids got disciplined maybe we wouldn't have all the problems of disrespectful, hateful, ignorant delinquents!!!!!

Your blog made me smile - reminded me of my own upbringing. I think maybe, just maybe, if people spanked their kids more often today instead of leaning toward the "let them express themselves" way of discipline, society would be much improved! Spare the rod spoil the child - and cause problems for the rest of society when they grow up! Our children are spanked when needed and, needless to say, they don't USUALLY repeat the same offense twice! But after that spanking, and after they've had some time to think about WHY they got the spanking, we always take a moment to reinforce the fact that we love them with a hug. Discipline only works when it is balanced with love!

she did give him too much but depends on what the kid did. parents dont spank their kids unless they did something. kids are always doing something that gets them into trouble and parents will react to it. if he deserve the spanking he should have gotten it but not that many times

when i was young, it was a spanking. there is nothin wrong with them. i believe they serve a good purpose as you remember the spanking/punishment the next time you attempt the act the next time. therefore you should bypass the act.

"He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently". -Proverbs 13:24

File charges against this mother? Seriously?? This type of bureaucratic interference is EXACTLY the cause of problems with kids today!

Okay, first of all the almighty bible says : "Spare the rod spoil the child". Secondly, I received several spankings as a child when I was wrong. I have a bachelor's degree, 2 master's degrees and I am currently working on my Doctorate degree. So my spanking, whippings or beatings, whatever name you would like to give them....for what it's worth....I think made me a better person.

Children have to learn to do as they are told by the people that are responsible for their care. If the little boy had run out into the street and got hit by a car....these same outraged people would be appalled, yet again. However, I bet that spanking will help him remember "when my mother says be still, that's what I better do".

I would also be willing to bet that the people that were so outraged either don't have any children, have older children and have forgotten what it was like to be a mother whose child has wandered off and you are out of your mind with worry thinking they were abducted only to find they were just being hard headed. I also bet some of these people who totally disagree with spanking their child(ren) have kids that have totally disrespected them while they were "trying to find themselves".

I have been in the store and heard children tell their parents...:shut up"..."i hate you"...." you are so stupid"..."give it to me"..."GIVE me..."

I believe in spanking my children and I promise you at 15 & 18 they would not dare to say any of those things. I have raised smart, intelligent, articulate, mannerable children. One says he will never spank his kids, the other says that she will spank her kids if they get out of line. I can't wait to be a grandmother.

Larry,

Your above story brings back memories similar to yours. And, I generally agree with your opinion about spanking.

I'm really not sure why this story merits so much attention. I don't really like the tone of your coverage since it clearly implied that the mother was wrong (I don't necessarily think she was). You run the story over and over and the mother has no advocate; I don't think this is appropriate coverage!!

AMEN Larry i agree with you and think in part it is sometimes the school districts that tell kids its wrong but they cant handle some kids and wonder why i was spanked so was my sister and i have kids now they get spanked and i do try to cool off first! but heres a question for you " what do you do about the busy-body who never had kids that thinks it wrong when your kid is kicking and screaming or breaking things in a store?" i dont think the mother was in control when she did but i cant judge her i wasn't there and GOD should be the only one to judge .

Larry, I am so glad somebody in the media is for spanking and realizes a spanking is different from child abuse. That child needed to learn to never run away from his mother. He could have been kidnapped. Kids are taken all the time around here and she wanted him to know not to leave her.

Iam the mother of three adult children,ages 31,28 and 24. My husband and I did spank our children. I can identify with the mother because my youngest did the same thing that the little boy had done. i remember the sheer panic and fear that I felt when she wandered away from me in a mall. All I could think about was that someone has taken my baby. When we found her, I was so relieved, but after hugging her, I spank her butt really good. It's amazing that incident was caught on camera but auto theft and break-ins are not.Spanking did not hurt my children, nor did it hurt me. I thank my parent for correction and instruction. I would rather spank my child than to bail him out of jail,or bury him.

Larry, I agree with you. I think many children could benefit from a spanking. Proverbs tells us if we spare the rod we spoil the child. That is the truth.
This woman hit the boy with the belt three times and then he got in the car, willingly. He won't run away from her in the mall again. Isn't that what counts?????
Yes, she was angry, but she was also scared. She thought he was lost.
I was taught that the hand of knowledge applied to the seat of understanding never hurt anyone. I believe it. You survived and so did I. We also have respect for others. We have gotten so liberal, that the kids run the house instead of the parents.
She was spanking not beating.

My father spanked us with a belt and I do believe he left marks. I don't think it was abuse and we sure didn't want another. We spanked also. The two girls only got a few. Our son however had several. Untill, in his case, we found that something else had a much better result. We took the door off his room and took away All electronic stuff. Lack of privacey and no x-box, tv, etc worked. He would beg for a spanking and to just get it over with. Some it works for and some it doesn't. Dad would say that it did him little good. Me it did a lot of good. My son little. I can't start over. Made plenty of mistakes, but I don't think the woman at the mall needs anymore critisizm. She's already had more than her fair share.

I totally agree!

I remember getting a spanking from my grandparents, and I remember getting beatings from my parents.. Now there is a difference. And yes, its' all in what is used, and how....
I am a foster parent, and believe my children have benefited from spankings. (not beatings)...Now regardless foster children can NOT get spankings... Its' all in spankings being blown out of proportion... I know there are many times when a child needs a swatt on the behind, and they do not get it.. And then years later, its' asked. " why r u acting like this?? or how come u get by with that now.?????"...
Now regardless, why or how come this child gets licked with the belt.. THE PARENT THOUGHT HE NEEDED IT, AND SHE DID NOT HURT HIM BY LEAVING MARKS, OR DID NOT STAND THERE AND WHIP HIM CONTUOUSLY..... She licked him a few times, and went on her way.... Not with anger, and frustration did she beat him... Not with a 2x4 or a fist.... She whipped him, and was done...
Let it be, and let us focus on the ABUSERS IN THE STATE....
God Bless, & thanks again Larry, for giving me this opportunity to speak..
DawnSu

I believe in spanking a child if he deserves it. As a kid, I received my share of spankings, but I turned out just fine. I have a full time job, never been arrested, been married to the same wife for 25 years. If things would go sour in my life, I don't think I would use the excuse that my parents "abused" me as a child just because I got a spanking that I deserved.
If more kids had consequences when rules were broken maybe they would think twice before doing something that they know is not right.

If you don"t spank your children they will take advantage of your kindness and make a fool out of you.
Kids need to be punished for there bad behavior and if that means spanking than so be it.
My mama tore my butt up and I am so glad that she did becase she cared about us and disciplin was a deturent for me and my brother.

I personally do not see anything wrong with spanking children. If more parents discipline their children that way, there will not be a great amount of crime in the world and Direspecting our elders. My mother whipped me when I was wrong, taught me to respect my elders and taught me about Jesus Christ growing up in North St. Louis City. I thank the Lord for that teaching training and discipline. Now here you have a 34 year old Black Male who is single with no children. I have my own house, been on my job for 17 years and attending college to further my education to be a Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer. Never been in jail or trouble with the law. The Bible says Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child. If we can go back to how we use to raise chlidren, maybe our community, our city, our state, our country, and our world will not be such a bad place to live in.

Larry,
I recalled getting hit with a ruler on the hand and I didn't like it so I made sure I didn't get caught doing bad when I did bad. On the other hand my sister ... I am not a "parent" however, I have two nieces & they got it on the hand, the legs from me over the years. Now, if she needed $ to feed her child will those who complain feed them... NO people need to mind their own business!!!! They need to help in finding missing kids, worry about those kids that think that they need to shoot up schools and then take their own lives and not abusing animals! Let the mother be a mother to "her" child. No one is going to feed them, pay their bills and cloth them. Just pray to GOD that she is taking good care of her child and move on. Now the law enforcement in envoloved and then the courts. Like I say pray for the mother and the child. Not call the police. Again, put yourself in her shoes, the police envolved in rather or not you should woope your kids. This is non sense. Pray that this don't happen to you. I pray for safety for all children.

I agree with you, Larry. We have two grown children and when they were little we also spanked them. We usually only used 3 swats and most of the time it was with a wooden spoon. It got to be if I just mentioned the spoon, they would settle down and we wouldn't have to use it. We also used the "bad boy chair" or the "bad girl chair". They would have to sit in a chair in the corner for 5-10 minutes and be quiet. That was REALLY hard for my daughter. She didn't like to be quiet! But they grew up to be good kids, never in any trouble and I believe if you don't decipline your children they won't understand that there are consequences for their behaviour. We also believed in praise for their accomplishments. I think that is just as important.
Thanks, Larry!
Joan Burgess

I agree with you 100%. I am 28 years old. My parents spanked me and I don't have any scars from it. I will spank my kids also whether it is at home or in public. There is a difference between spanking and beating your child.

When I was in elementary school some of the kids were already talking about sex and drugs. There parents didn't care. Most of the kids in high school were doing drugs. We had a suicide almost every year.

Now I work with 100s of kids everyday with behavioral issues that say their parents don't discipline them and sometimes let them do whatever they want. By the time most of them leave the hospital they are thanking us for the structure that we gave them. They really need some kind of discipline.

Good blog Larry. I am happy to see that someone else is alright with spankings. I would rather see a child disciplined correctly, then to see parents at a grave site crying. Children need loving parents to correct them. Those were love taps not abuse.
A great Christian lady told me one time that, she spanked her children when they were little cause she needed to get the devil out of them. She said would tell the kids, "I didn't teach you that so it has got to be the devil, so I have to beat him out of you." She has five wonderful boys that are very respectful.

Good post Larry. Your from the old school.

I think the bigest problem with children now come from outsiders butting in people business.My parents did a wonderful job and we came out as we came out.If the government wasn't so busy stressing people out,maybe people could mind their children better.The news media and everyone else telling children about the rights they have and not having to deal with the sassy personalities the parents have to face from the child they are struggling to care for only add to the hardache of trying to obtain the same disciplin the (SO CALLED)legakl system trys (unsuccessfully)to obtain in the penal system.Telling children that myspace is their own private space sets them up for situations like the one where the woman pushed the girl to commit suicide.Now they not only will not make the woman do a fitting time,but they still push children toward myspace.

I really don't understand how this video has become such a hot topic. A child is being disciplined in public not abused. She's not punching, throwing, or physically harming him. If you have watched the video he is getting a spanking on his bottom nowhere else. No one knows the true situation and why the action was taken in public, but if you go by just what one person is saying then your just plain foolish. How can you damn someone and basically jeopardize their entire life off of one person's supposedly uncomfort. If you have read the story, the security guard went directly to the news station instead of going to the police. The police didn't learn of the situation until after it aired on the local news station. If the security guard was so concerned about the child's safety then why didn't he try to intervene or contact police directly? Then no sooner than the story aired the security guard mysteriously resigned from his position as guard at the mills mall. Mainly because he was probably in the process of getting fired for not handling this situation properly. This makes me think that the security guard only did this to get his 15 seconds of fame. When the security guard was interviewed by another station he was portrayed to be the loving father who takes his child to the park and cares about the well being of children which just made many of us who saw the interview cringe. If your flipping back through the different news stations, you will see that his story has changed. This takes me back to if the security guard who is so caring, why didn't he intervene and get the property authorities involved? He didn't because he knew there was no case. He didn't take the tape to the Hazelwood police department because he had no proof that this child was being abuse and he just wanted to be recognized. Probably, the reason that he no longer works with the mills mall as security is because he jumped the gun. The police detective that was interviewed basically let everyone know that the child shows no sign of abuse and that the mother is voluntarily talking with police and even brought the child to the station for examining. How can any of us judge this situation? Many of the comments being posted are not from social workers and don't know Missouri's law and what’s considered to be abuse. DFS hasn't even given a comment so how dare many of us judge this situation without know the whole story. This story should have never been aired to begin with. If this woman was charged with a crime then it should have been aired but she hasn't been charged with anything by any court so there is no news to tell. I'm commenting on this because it's upsetting to see this situation occur to a mother who was just simply discipline her child go through this. No one knows how this is truly going to affect their lives. What would happen if this individual would loose her job over this nonsense and then not be able to provide for her child for instance. If that occurs, then the next set of comments that will probably arise, is that the mother is on welfare not being able to take care of her own kid. When does the madness stop? I really wish that until more proof or evidence was provided, this should have never been aired. I know this wasn't abuse, it was purely discipline. To say anything else is just down right wrong.

Someone should get a big belt and bet her with it so she can see how it feels.

I don't have children, but if I did I definitely would be using spanking as a disciplinary tool. I was raised by my German/American Indian grandmother, and she believed in spankings, her favorite tool to spank with was the belt, but she was known to use ping pong paddles, tree branches, and anything else she had handy to do the deed. I have to say it kept me out of future trouble, all I had to do was think of what the consequences would be if I did something I shouldn't and I would think twice about doing it. For a little ole lady she had power...ouch!!! I can still think of those spankings today.

I think that's what is wrong with society today, spare the rod spoil the child is taking hold, and our values are going down the drain. Spankings teach children right from wrong, also teaches them respect. Without respect, you will have a lawless society eventually.

is ok spanked child ... isbad

I personally believe in spanking...as my mother said, "a hard head makes a soft behind." I remember an incident where my child decided she was going to hide from me in Wal-Mart. I was very angry and scared, and she was reprimanded in the store. Thank God I wasn't videotaped being a responsible parent. Now, if the woman had picked up a brick or some other inappropriate weapon, then yes, that would have been wrong. But, she didn't...she used a belt, and it looked to me like she spanked his legs and bottom. This is just the kind of thing that has led us to this world where children think that they have rights (they don't) and power over the people who are supposed to discipline and raise them to be responsible citizens. Let parents appropriately discipline their children and focus more attention on those parents who really are neglecting and abusing their children.

no this woman should not go to jail !
she is a loving mother . That is what has happen to our young children now don't spank just give them pills

Larry, I think you did an awesome job with this article. You said it best when you said your dad said "good"! My parents used a belt on me & my siblings & I never recall them ever loosing control of the situation but I remember the spankings. I am 31 years old today & both my parents, siblings and I laugh about our childhood & the spankings. I learned not to try my parents so I was a pretty good kid. Now that I am a parent, I believe in spanking my children just like my parents did with me. I don't like to but I also realize it's necessary in order for my kids to grow into decent law abiding citizens. God Bless!

I believe that if more parents spanked their children then our world would not be in the situation it is in. I wish people would leave the mother alone and let her be the parent that she is trying to be. She loves her children and did nothing wrong. Just think about what a horrible parent they would have said she was if someone would have taken him and tortured and killed the poor child. If more parents loved their children enough to dicipline them then we would be much better off.
I was on the recieving end of the belt when I was growing up and it never hurt me. I am a productive citizen with a good job and three wonderful kids. And yes I have spanked them on occasion!

Larry,

Here is what I remember. As one of 7 children, I was occasionally beat with a belt. I remember the confusion and bewildering question "How could someone who supposedly loves me be so cruel". I would feel very angry and confused. How do you teach children not to hit or harm others by beatiing on them? I raised 3 boys and never hit them with anything. I have 2 doctors and a lawyer and more importantly 3 very caring individuals. If one can successfully raise children without corporal punishment, why would one beat on them except to release one's own frustration.

I DO NOT THINK THE MOTHER WAS IN ANY WRONG IT'S BETTER TO TEACH THE CHILD A LESSON WHY THEIR YOUNG BECAUSE WHEN THEY GET OLDER THE LAW MIGHT USE EXCESSIVE FORCE ON THEM, SO WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE MOTHER GIVEN A SPANKY SHE HAD HIM AND IT'S NONE OF THE MEDIA'S BUSINESS ARE THE GOVERMENT! THE POLICE USE'S FORCE ON HUMAN'S NOW!

I think Spanking is ok . Thats one swat with your hand. What this lady did was clear Child Abuse. She really needs some anger management classes. If she did this out in Public what does she do behind closed doors. I can't believe her friend didn't stop her either . Maybe someone needs to beat her like she did her son. I can't believe they didn't lock her up right then.

Yesterday it seem everyone had a opinion on what this Mom had done to her child although I don't agree with where she disciple her child I don't disagree with what she did. While reporting this in the next breath you report on young teens texting each other with nude picture of themselves or someone else and saying that the psychologists are saying this all right because it like horse playing, spin the bottle or playing doctor. What kind of nonsense is that? Then you wonder why kids are getting snatch or rape or some other horrible thing that could happen to them and why? Because we let our children do and say what they want we do not teach any more respect or responsibility for what they do. I look at these young folks and wonder what kind of world are they going to create when he/she can't read "the" in front of him /her. Everyone doesn’t react to fear the same and if it is true about cellular member then black people act a certain way when come to protecting their kids. You have slavery to thank for that after all who was there to protect or keep him out harms way then? You might say what dose that has to do with what happen the day of the incident? A lot. It's about staying close not wondering off and paying attention because if you didn’t, it may cause you to loss your life. I could go on and on about this subject but the bottom line is we need concentrate on the many sick people who are in the world such as the young girl that was on the Dr. Phil show Monday that describe how her parents had torture her and her little sister and kill the younger child. Where were these people of concern for this child? It wasn't until she ask for help at school that a teacher took it upon her own to do so but you can’t tell me that before that no one didn't know something wasn't quit right with those children. But hey that's just what I think I could be wrong.

I feel that people should mind their own bussiness and if a parent feel that they need to spank their child they should be able to without someone telling them that they can not these kids these days need some one to dicipline them sometime and when they are actting out in the malls or anywhere people wanna be like where are the parents and then when they do something about it then they wanna say CHILD ABUSE LET THESE PARENTS DICIPLINE THEIR KIDS THE WAY THEY WANNA

Larry I agree with you 100%... My children are now 23 & 26 and I spanked them, as well as used time out, punishments, and in many cases a good talking to.
It really should be done as a last resort & ONLY after you have calmed down because it can get out of hand. Just the same as when you talk to your children to correct them, it shouldn't be done in anger. There are many people who are appalled by spanking, but some of the same ones belittle their children by words and yelling at them and this lowers their self esteem.
Remember...whatever is done should be done in love and as a form of correction in order that the children can be safe and learn structure; and not as an outlet for all of the anger we've been harboring.

i wouldve did the same thing just imagine if some crazmadman wouldve got him then what i bet he will think twice before he wonders off again good job mom

I totally agree.
That's why alot of kids nowadays aren't afraid to get into trouble and do because, well they sure won't get a spanking; they could get their parents in trouble for that! Kids were more disciplined and respectful when spankings were the consequence!

This whole thing is ridiculous. It is no one Else's business on how someone else chooses to raise their kids. This is the problem with society today. You can't discipline your kids anymore, and because of it, that is why we are having problems we are having with kids shooting up their schools, and shooting police, firemen, and EMS personnel.

I was in the store with my nephew and he started screaming. I told him to stop and he did not. So I spanked him. A lady came up to me and said "It is illegal to spank kids." I said to her "Madame, if you don't mind your own business, I am going to spank you next." Her jaw hit the floor and she backed away and I didn't hear anymore from her.

Abuse is one thing, discipline is another. People need to butt out of other peoples business and figure out what is and what is not abuse. If this keeps up, the next generation is going to be so out of control, if prison overcrowding is a problem now, there won't be prisons being built fast enough in the future.

I remember in the late 50's when I was 7 or 8 I went somewhere with a neighbor girl and didn't tell anyone where I went. After a few hours my mother was frantically looking for me. And on her way to the police station, she saw me walking home. She took me home, pulled down my shorts, and spanked me with her hand, HARD. Then she cried. I never forgot that spanking, and never went anywhere without permission again. As a parent, I now understand her feelings. I think a parent has the responsibility to correct their child as along as they don't go to extremes and the child knows it is done in love. Whatever we do with our children, it is important that they know they are loved. Thank you

This is a spanking............he ran off, he could have been taken by someone !!

In case you have not noticed some societies in the world have to carry sticks and belts, to be powerful
I have witnessed many of these occasions working in retail, I just simply walk over and tell them that I would be more than happy to call the police, child abuse or whatever it takes. I just recently did a citizens arrest on a woman who butt headed her small child right on the metro link train. She did abuse him, and when the child grows up, gets in trouble with the law, they scream my baby wouldn't do that. I wonder why. I seen this belt whipping lots and wonder why these children die, or become disable. I think the parent, should be tarred and feather also. this was clearly child abused. who knows what she did in the car, and then the other woman just stood there, Whats up with that. Of course neither looked like PARENTS.

there is a fine line between spanking and beating, and she crossed that line. obviously she beats the boy often, because she did not just pull the belt out of her pants and spank,the belt would not fit her arm much less her waist. she needs an old fashioned whipping and pronto!

i think she should do the spanking at home and not in piblic, you never know who is watching

There is NOTHING wrong with that women spanking her child. I recieved them when I was a child My son also recives them now. That is what is wrong with this world,I think they should bring spanking back in school too. ABUSE is one thing and it happens every day and nothing is done about children being starved or burned or locked in closets and thats ok but spanking your child is not ok!!!!!! There is something WRONG here. That man said he couldn't sleep it upset him soooo bad, he must not have kids!

Right on, Larry! As a 2nd grade teacher, I wish more parents felt the way we do. It certainly would make my job a lot easier!

I think the lady from the video, beating her child is just sad. I mean it's one thing to spank a child with your hand (Which I don't even agree with) but using a belt on a innocent child. That's just ashame. If she can beat her child like that in a parking lot, just imgaine what she does to that poor thing at home when nobody is watching. Yes, he ran off! Everything bad probably runs through your head but a real parent that really loved their child would hold them and be thankful they were found! Not beat them. That shows him that he's really wanted. . .ya right. Not only is it just hateful but what does that really teach a child? Nothing but ignorance.

Anybody that spanks their child really needs to sit back and think about their actions. This is a small child who is learning life! If they are wrong the best way to teach them right is to send them to time out. After time out is done sit next to them and talk about what happened and why they are in time out. Beating a child only makes them hateful towards you. It could lead them in a bad path.

I don't care what Conner's says about his daughters growing up just fine with being "Spanked" but honestly that's just ashame. A parent needs to learn their own angry and grow up. I never looked at him the way I look at him now. Just imature. If you can't handle a child then don't have them! If you can't handle how silly, wild, crazy, goofy a child is then don't bother even having them because that's just how life is.

Parents that hit their children should be ashamed of themselves. It's just disgusting and it makes me sick that you could hit your own little innocent child. A child that is just a baby that looks up to you.

Life is way to short to be hateful. How would you feel if you gave them a spanking and then the next day they die in a car accident?> The last thing they remember of their parent is being hateful? Wow that's sad.

Heartless parents make me sick.

I pray for all the children out there that are abused. God bless them all.

I hate to bust everyone's bubble, but any consequence that impacts a child is effective in delivering the message. We do not spoil our children, in fact, it seems we are some of the few parents who have high expectations in manners,work ethic, academics, treating adults with respect, showing gratitude and courtesy, the list goes on. We do not coddle our children and we don't spank them. Sure they did things other parents may have spanked for, but we delivered a consequence that probably had more impact than a short term spanking. However, I don't criticize those who spank, only those that think spanking is necessary to produce "decent" citizens and all kids who aren't spanked are brats. I've taught kids who are spanked and they are sometimes the worst discipline problems in the classroom because they know only their parents will spank them and so they have no internal drive to do the right thing...only a self preserving plan to avoid pain.
I am open minded enough to know we have friends who spank and friends who don't and the variety of great kids and not so great kids come from both types of families. Spanking is not the end all solution for avoiding spoiled, deviant brats.

Larry...

This kid was 4. Four year olds still get a kick out of choosing which hand the hidden penny is in. Four year olds can't wait for Santa, the Easter Bunny and usually they aren’t 4 years old, they are 4 1/2 or almost 5.

Do you think the kid could have been terrified when the kid was lost, or was the kid in the back of the store coppin’ a smoke? Do you think the kid, even being told, "don't wander", comprehended that for more than a moment? Maybe the kid was told that in the aisle where the cookie monster toy was and stopped to talk to the cookie monster while the mother was to busy eating cheese curls to pay attention to her kid.

Discipline is for bad behavior, not 4 year olds who wander. Where is the part of the video that you can splice in that shows how grateful the mother was that the kid didn’t get kidnapped, abused or killed? Why do people think parents have a right to torture their kid because the adult can't handle their emotions? Isn't that an adult being the child and reacting impulsively in rage, abusing the kid?

For you to even come close to condoning this behavior by an adult by calling it discipline is an insult to adults, and another "whip of the belt" on that child. Do you really think that youngster has a clue what the word discipline really means or is?

You attempt to justify "spanking" by giving examples of children that are successful when spanking was used to discipline. Are you saying "you see, no harm was done by spanking"? Or are you saying, you see how well these children have done because of spanking". Both statements are specious at best and useless, even destructive at worst.. especially for the child involved.

The behavior of the child was not bad, the adult behavior was bad and the adult deserves a spanking. If someone did that same spanking to the mother for the worse offense of not paying attention to her 4 year old child, don't you think she would have filed charges of abuse, sued and won millions? Isn't it blatantly obvious? Yet, the 4 year old doesn't deserve the same respect. The 4 year old can be attacked without the ability to retaliate. The 4 year olds ability to discern right and wrong, good or bad is blurred, most likely forever. That is unless you think this is an isolated situation and Mommy doesn't do that again when the 4 year old spills his milk on the floor. After all, that is BAD you know.

That was NOT discipline. And the many people that call it "discipline" are sadly blinded by their own pitiful parenting skills. Would you want to be a "disciple" of that person called "mother" on the tape? Go ahead, trade places with that kid. How anxious are ya to be in that ruthless tyrants presence day in and day out? When you make a mistake, what are you going to do, tell her or hide it, lie and run for your life?

Nope Larry, not discipline. Not parenting. Not mothering. Not teaching. Not wisdom. AND DEFINATELY, MOST DEFINATELY..NOT LOVE.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.

I didn't say I was against spanking.

While I am sure your post will earn you some hate mail, I applaud you for being firm in your beliefs.

I also got spanked, sometimes with a hand, a belt, or even a paddle. My older brother an I were a lot better behaved in the long run as a result. My younger sister, being 7 years the baby, and only girl, got none of that. Somewhere in those additional years, my father suddenly joined the "spanking is abuse" crowd, and never laid so much a a finger on my sister. The difference was amazing. She knew she could practically get away with murder, and walked all over my parents.

I agree with you, spanking needs to be measured, and not done in anger. When done so, it is a very effective tool in bringing up kids. Unless the kid shows evidence of a severe beating, the authorities need to find something better to do.

Larry,

Recently, I've contacted the Division of Family Services about SIMILAR treatment of a nine year old girl (by her mother).

Thank goodness for people of normal IQs.

I wasn't there so I don't know what led up to this. If the boy wondered off from his mother and it was not HER fault, then he deserved the spanking. Why do some people think they should stick their noses in on everybody else's business? I am getting so sick of the "public" trying to dictate how we should raise our children, animals, treat the sick, etc. The "government" is not SUPPOSED to be there for every little thing to "control" the results and have the answer for every little event in our lives. I was a high school teacher for 34 years and will testify right here that the end of corporal punishment was a very sad day in the world of education. I spanked very few children, but when I did it was NOT out of anger, it was because the child needed it to condition and correct their behavior. It WORKED! These young parents who think a "time out" or a mark on the board will make a difference are totally ignorant of the human mind. It is evident with the results that they get. I was spanked as a child and I am very THANKFUL that my parents chose to do so. In conclusion.....I doubt if that little boy will wander off from his mother again.

I must admit I had quite a few misgivings about the Mom who used the belt on her 4-year-old. I thought the belt was a bit excessive. However, I have two boys, 32 and 28, and both were raised with a firm hand from both parents. They were spanked when they misbehaved. It didn't hurt them, it didn't scar them for life, and they learned lessons about behavior and the consequences of bad behavior. I have no problem with the woman spanking her son, I just had a problem with the belt.

It made me absolutely nauseous when I saw this video. And Larry, I am sorry to say that You too have offended me with your comments about this. This woman was clearly beating that child. And it made me sick. I have not stopped thinking about that kid for days. Hands are not for hitting and violence begets violence. When you show them hitting is acceptable, you are telling them that it is OK to hit other people if you think that they are doing something wrong, and it is NOT OK. I hope that they throw the book at her and all other abusers who use their kid as a punching bag. You don't need to ask yourself why these kids are walking around so angry and violent, just watch that stupid video, and you will know.

I saw the video and have not been able to forget the images that I saw. I thought that it was excessive and violent. Hitting people is never OK, and little kids are people, correct? So, what is this little kid going to do the next time he gets mad at someone? He will probably grab a belt, beat the offender, and wonder why it got people so upset with him.

You must be kidding right? Nothing wrong with a belt every now and again. Discipline early and often so the system won't blame the parent when they come of age for not parenting properly.

You got it, I got it back in the day and I have never seen the inside of a prison. Kids with Time Out are serving life! LOL (Joke)

Good for the mom. Next time the youngster will stay close, I promise!

A lot of people usually find an excuse to hurt kids in the old testament because they know that all the things Jesus ever talked about was being kind to others.This is what the new testament says.
Luke 6:31
And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

Ephesians 6:4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Colossians 3:21
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.