09/11/2020
No more smacking allowed in Scotland but what if it's how you were raised ?
In many families and cultures, it is deemed appropriate. It is done by otherwise loving parents who don't see what is wrong with a little slap on the bottom.
Haim Ginott is considered as the father of "Gentle Parenting". In his book, he sets out to give "specific advice derived from basic communication principles that
will guide parents in living with children in mutual respect and dignity.”
66 years later, we can see a growing gentle parenting movement but we are not quite there yet. One of the reasons is that we are the children of those parents who discipline the old fashioned way or were harshly disciplined themselves. So we also need to heal our wounds in order to "respect our own children".
If you are a parent who has received smacks on the bottom and you are struggling to see what is wrong or you are fighting the nearly automatic reflex to hit when under stress, when your little one misbehaves, you are not the only one but I would urge you to work asap on strategies to cope with stress, anger and frustration while reading why it's wrong. Try to remember how it felt when you were little and your parents (probably loving and well meaning) smacked you. Process those emotions, chat with them, share the struggle with your partner. If you know a friend who uses smacking, approach them and try to have an open non judgemental discussion.
Trust me, you can move away from harsh discipline techniques.
So tell me, how were you disciplined as a child? And do you find it challenging to move away from those techniques?
