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By Rebecca Kammerer

Video Blog: I Have Spanked My Child

Am I the perfect parent? No way!

Have I lost my cool while parenting? Yes!

Do I regret it? Yes!

Do I feel that I dealt with the situation in a positive light? Yes!

I truly feel that spanking is not necessary, but if dealt with appropriately (after the fact) it can be a learning experience for all involved. Now before you blast me, please read this article in full.

There are MANY things to try when teaching right from wrong before choosing to spank, such as gentle instruction, redirecting (distracting) the child, taking away a privilege or sending the child to timeout. Any of these options, supported by a strong foundation of love and respect, is the only truly effective way to bring about commendable behavior based on strong inner values, instead of superficially "good" behavior based only on fear.

In some emergency safety situations a small swat on the butt or hand may be useful to get a child’s attention. When my children were around 18 months and older, I had used a hand swat to teach my child that it was not okay to touch the stove or a flame. I had used a butt swat to teach my child that it was not okay to run out into the road. These types of situations came out of shear fear, due to the fact that I was terrified at that moment and reacted on impulse.

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