I’ve been interviewed quite a lot recently on BBC radio stations around the UK about smacking, as a report by the UN insists that smacking must be banned to bring UK into line with international law.
You can hear my lively debate on BBC Radio London with Vanessa Feltz by clicking here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02w6xfl
I’ve written before many times and been interviewed by Eamonn Holmes and Holly Willoughby on ITV ‘This Morning’ about my thoughts about smacking which you can watch here:
www.TheSueAtkins.com
Perhaps it’s helpful to remove the word ‘punishment ‘ from your vocabulary as it comes from a place of control and power instead of a place of understanding & compassion.
It might be helpful to make a small change in your way of thinking around discipline as you are really teaching your children about changing their unwanted or unhelpful behaviour.
Children are constantly learning and like ourselves, they make mistakes. They also test your boundaries, do silly and sometimes naughty things, but what are they learning from you if you smack them and what does hitting them achieve?
When do you decide it’s ok to hit – is it Ok to hit a baby, your toddler or stop hitting your teenager – when they say ‘that didn’t hurt? ‘ or they decide to hit you back as they are taller than you?
The critical and key question here. What are they learning from you when you hit them?
And of course I’ve heard it a hundred times- ‘ But a little tap never did me any harm!’
But I’ve also been a Deputy Head and a Class Teacher for 25 years and what do children do out on the playground when they get frustrated, angry or don’t get their own way if they have been hit at home ? They lash out and hit out at others because that’s what’s been modelled at home.
Children need firm, fair and consistent boundaries and there are lots of ways to teach them that don’t involve smacking them.
So how about using the word ‘consequences’ to teach your children self regulation and what different ways can you start to use this week to help your kids to learn to make better choices ?
Read more here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11709291/Smacking-must-be-banned-to-bring-UK-into-line-with-international-law-report-to-UN-insists.html