Very droll, Houellebecq

In case anyone missed the joke, those song lyrics (Pearl Jam's Hey Foxymophandlemama) were in fact a pastiche of recordings of patients in a psychiatric ward.

They fit the discussion extremely well, though. And easily make just as much sense.

Pericles,

You obviously think smacking is a form a torture. Well, there are a lot of little terrors out there.

Sorry couldn't resist...

But on a more serious note. Next time you see a 5 year old strap on a suicide vest and blow him/herself up then let me know. Until then I might just continue thinking smacking an unruly child and terrorism have absolutely nothing to do with one another.

Jewely - don't say it was your child who kicked another (unprovoked?) then shouted at you when removed from the activity (as a act of censure I presume) claiming she'd been falsely accused, she'd kicked him in the face, not the head?

Where did this child learn such aggressive behaviour towards her peers? Surely children who never experience the 'violence' of being smacked for bad behaviour should KNOW that it is wrong to hit, kick, bite or otherwise assault their playmates? Why is she shouting at you? Where did that come from? Doesn't sound very well mannered or respectful.

You said "a very little girl" so I'm going to assume that this is a child under the age of 3 who developmentally is not in the ball park when it comes to co-operative interaction with and empathy for others and whose actions will often be spontaneous. If she is older than 3 then this incident shouldn't have happened - unless he punched her in the nose first. If not, I would then have to wonder how effective your "gentle" methods?

You might not be on the edge of a smile if next time little miss puts the boot in, the victim retaliates with greater force. Or worse, some yobbo parent misinterprets your amusement and comes over and lays one on you. (Happened at a playgroup my Niece takes her little girl to. Ms 'Punch' is no longer welcome in that group - bad influence on the kiddies I was told ...)

Anyway I hope you instructed this very little girl that a) The face is part of the head b)Kicking one's playmates is completely out of order barring self defence and c)Shouting at your mother is rude and disrespectful. Then put her in the corner to think about it all for a while. BTW - did you ask her for an explanation? Why did you do that? Or would that be too confronting and non-gentle?

"Jewely - don't say it was your child who kicked another (unprovoked?) then shouted at you when removed from the activity (as a act of censure I presume) claiming she'd been falsely accused, she'd kicked him in the face, not the head?"

Nup she wasn't mine until recently , now that she is no longer in a household where she was hurt to be controlled I can fix it. :) And hey it wasn't a smacking household it was a beating one so not relevant here.

Yup just over 2 years old, very good verbal communicator don't you think? Shame about the physical communication. It happened because she wanted the red one and he got it first. I didn't do the seclusion thing completely except away from the activity. But I will go back and explain that the face is part of the head because I didn't think about that at the time. Cheers Divine.

If this is a foster child that has been taken out of an abusive household then all I can say is that for her sake, I hope you can keep her.
The way children are taken into care, then reunited with their tormenters and the process often repeated over and over again, until at age 18 DOCS (or whatever Child Protection calls itself in every different State) just cuts them loose, is criminal. If they actually survive .... But that's another thread.

If you are a foster carer I salute your courage and compassion and hope you make a world of difference to the children who come your way.

Yes - little Miss Feisty is obviously an intelligent mite. Steer her in the right direction and wish for luck.

Yes Blwrpytvvs,

It's easy to see why you could confuse disciplining a child with sexual assault.

Our familiy doctor, who always offers the children lollies, is clearly also priming them for sexual assault by a stranger.

Or, is it possible, you were hyperventilating whilst you were enthusiatically shoving your morality down our throats.

Governement has no place in a healthy happy family. The attempt to broaden the dfinition of abuse to include smacking is an ideological campaign orchestrated by the politically correct