>I think a spanking with a paddle, the hand, even a belt is just another tool in a parent's toolchest. I probably didn't spank my three kids more than a handful of times each, but at some point they all crossed the line and had to be dealt with. I've always thought it was a last resort. Timeouts and loss of privelages and such usually work. When they don't you move up the force continuum.

John,

Well, that is a Big improvement on the old-school thinking. Part of the old 'spare the rod' interpretation was of a heritage and cultural attribute: got German? Stepping back just a few generations there is a marked contrast to be found between our neighbors in the old countries. For example, Dutch people were quite enthusiastic about children, built some of the first toy factories and got their Sinter Klaus on when others took a 'banned' stance for Christmas (including pre-Coca Cola America). Next door, the German parental-style thinking was that children should only be beaten when they deserved it. Haha. (FWIW, my matrilineal family name is 'Kaiser'. Ow, and it still hurts! ;-) My son will never need to know (endure?) this.)

Now before anyone jumps in to defend ancestries, my above generalizations are not mine alone but are illustrative of a somewhat common regard among psycho-therapeutic people. The harsh/violent discipline behavior is thought to be a legacy of the Indo-European invasions. But that is another long story...

Peace,
Steven-.