Saturday, August 23, 2008

spanking again

The neighbor boy is spending the night and he was telling me some things. One was kind of funny, he said I'm not cranky like his mom. I thanked him and chuckled and told him that I do GET cranky, he said but not like my mom.

I guess being 8 days late isn't making me too mean :)

Today we have been working on house cleaning, you have no idea how messy this place was.

I was cleaning in Cassie's room, that room will probably take a few days to weed through, I barely made a dent.

Anyway he told me that he gets a whooping if his room gets that messy. I told him I'm sorry and I don't believe in spanking. He said that he is afraid to make a mistake or get in trouble at school because they paddle you there too.

He said that first they call your parents to see if you deserve one. I am so appalled by this, it is totally barbaric.

I said that NOBODY deserves to get hit. He said he wished the president would make a rule against it. I told him that even if he did many parents would still hit their kids.

We talked a little more, he said he gets grounded sometimes too.

I told him I don't really think that is a great thing either. I said what does it do? What do you learn from it? He said nothing except that he is scared to do anything wrong. He is a kid and is going to do things *wrong*

I know I'm beating a dead horse but I firmly believe that hitting is wrong and that nobody has the right to hit someone, especially a child.

6 comments:

Colleen Paeff said...

Oh, that's so sad. I actually thought corporal punishment in schools was illegal. Shows how much I know. I guess that's one more good reason to homeschool!

unschoolermom said...

Stephanie,

I'm with you! It is so sad that kids are scared to do things wrong. Isn't it much more productive to talk about why we should or shouldn't do things, the benefits of having a room, clean, etc.?

Kandy

Donna said...

I think it's great that this boy has you to talk to. I had a neighbor when I was in my teens. (She was in her early twenties with 4 little kids). By then I was a little old to be hit, but my mom still liked to throw things and she screamed a lot. It was really nice to be able to go over to this neighbors and just dump on her. She listened to me and validated my feelings. I will always remember and thank her for that. So I think you are helping this boy to see that not everyone is like his mom, and that he can trust you and you can validate his feelings. However horrible we know it is to hit children, it is impossible to save the world. but you are helping just by being there for this boy, wtg Stephanie : )

Hilaree said...

I agree that its so great you're there to hear this boy! Its high time we stop protecting the wrong people - those sad, beleagured parents (sarcastically) instead of children who should have the same human rights given to adults. I wonder how his Mommy would feel if her boss came into her cubicle and paddled her ass every time a report was late or her desk was messy with too many knicknacks?! Love to you and your family, girl!

Tina said...

But you aren't. You are planting seeds for that little boy when so that when he grows up, maybe, just maybe, he'll have a bell ring in his thoughts. You never know what will stick in someone's head.

L. J. Lowe said...

I know I don't have to tell you that I agree with you. I can't post here what I think of people that hit their kids! It's a cop-out... a lazy way to parent! Ugh!