What makes other think that disciplining children is child abuse?
Because children are helpless.Children depend fully on their parents and caregivers. When you hit or spank a child in lieu of disciplining them, that’s abusive.I’m not saying that a slap on the wrist is abuse, but you have to consider the implications of being abusive.Now, full-on, old style “bend on the knee” spanking is abuse, make no mistake. Using a belt or fists to “discipline” your child is also abuse, just as it would be considered assault if you hit an adult.Consider this — if your boss spanks you because you made a mistake, wouldn’t that be considered abuse? So why do people think that spanking their kids isn’t?There are better tools than corporal punishment to teach children. While it’s true that very young children don’t understand reasoning, the truth is that they should not be in a situation where they need to have their behavior culled!For instance, lots of people (myself included) think that it’s OK to smack a child on the wrist so they don’t do something dangerous such as putting their fingers on a power socket[1] . But the truth is that they shouldn’t be able to put their fingers on a power socket!!! It’s the parents’ role to make sure their kids are in a safe environment and properly supervised at all times.And when toddlers are having attitude problems… hitting them is also not the solution! They can’t help themselves! They don’t know how to cope with their emotions! They don’t understand what they are doing! Would you hit a demented elderly if they gave you a “bad look”? So why do that with a child that don’t understand what they are doing?Much better than hitting, spanking and smacking children is to teach them, to let them face the consequences of their actions and to help them cope with their emotions!And those are the reasons why I say that “disciplining” is abuse. Because not only there are better tools, but if you acted on adults as some people do toward children, they would end up arrested for assault.Footnotes[1] Adriano Di Piero's answer to Is it ok to spank my 2-year-old when he tries to run into the street because he thinks it’s funny?
Why don't we discipline our kids anymore?
If you do you will "hurt their feelings" which for good liberals, it is all about feeling good. Remember we can't fail them in school even if they can't read, it might hurt their self-esteem, so let's just pass them on to society, besides it won't hurt the ruling liberal elite if America is stupid, it only helps them. What is wrong is liberalism, the insane religion of the socialists of the democrat party.
Is it cruel punishment to have a child stand in the corner for over an hour with their arms in the air?
According to law, for anything to be considered abuse, there must be a great potential for injury. If the child has to hold his hands up in time out every day, it may cause mental trauma. However, now and then as a disciplinary measure it would not be considered abuse by any legal definition. I think an hour is very extreme unless it is a situation where time keeps getting added for misbehavior such as talking, looking away from the corner, or putting her arms down since that is the parent's rule while the child is being disciplined. Some parents have their children press a dime against the wall with their nose. That way the child cannot turn around without it being obvious. Of course the consequence is time added to their punishment. This makes more sense than having a child hold her hands in the air, but to each his own. We occasionally put our son in the corner, but usually it is just 5, 10, or 15 minutes. We don't follow the modern minute-per-year of age system because it was only designed to sell books. We also don't try to enhance the discipline with added requirements. He knows that if he talks or turns around he will get extra time. If he walks away or throws a fit he will get spanked and put back in the corner. This is what works for us, but if my wife told our son to put his hands in the air, I would not undermine her. It isn't "cruel punishment" even though I don't think it is necessary.
Squirting children in the face with water as a disciplinary measure?
Yeah I have to say that's pretty messed up; things like ice cold water and stress activities (the cans) are physically uncomfortable or downright painful for children, and depending on their age, health, mental state, etc. could be quite dangerous. I'd also bear in mind that these are FOSTER CHILDREN; children who by their very definition are unsettled, frightened, angry and confused. Your parents are using techniques that would break men in the military (and do)...and they're using them on vulnerable children. I really don't think I could cope with your parents if I was in your position; I would have dumped the contents of the water bottle all over you mother and smacked my fathers head between a tin of peas :-/ that is NOT ok behaviour. At the very least I would have reported them to social services; they aren't fit to have those kids! ETA: I'm not against smacking or other painful punishments, but they should be appropriate; the only time I smack my son is if he does something genuinely dangerous like running into the road. He learns this way that doing certain things hurt (like, say, running into the road can lead to being hit by a car). However, a sharp smack means the punishment is over; the longest he ever gets punished for is a smack and 5 minutes on the naughty step; I would never put a child through something so drawn out and painful as that.
Is punishing kids for masturbation a form of child abuse?
Yes, without question. I would categorize it as a severe form of child abuse. It is not a child's fault some places are more enjoyable for him/her to touch than others. Young children do not understand this to be a sexual thing in the least, and it's not. Older children are doing exactly as nature intended. To punish a child for getting to know and love his own body will ruin him/her sexually and emotionally for the rest of his or her life. They are doing NOTHING wrong. It is a natural curiosity. If one's child is doing it near others a very simple "Honey, that's something you have to do in private, in your own bedroom," will suffice. "I don't mind you doing that but it's not for others to see." Period. End of story. I hope noone here is screwing up their child's entire life by being so abusive as to punish them for masturbating. What a travesty that would be.
Is thumping your child(1yr) on her forehead and popping her on the bottom of her foot disapline or abuse?
me and my husband have a big problem with how he deals with the kids when they act up i dont think a child should be disiplined like that. i tell him just to pop her on her leg if she acts up am i wrong or is he?