Discipline... To Be or Not To Be..

When I was a kid and I fucked up, I got a spanking. As did my brother. He received the most of them because he was a little shit. Did we deserve getting smacked when we screwed up? Ya goddamn right we did. I can't use the analogy that deserved punishment (A crack on the ass if you fucked up) not a beating abuse style, straightens kids out when they become adults. Look at my family, I was going to say that I was spanked and I didn't end up physically abusing my kid. With me, a stern, yet loud bark is all I needed to control my daughter.

My dad didn't discipline my youngest brother at all and he's been in trouble with the law on several occasions. My other brother who is two years younger than me has been in trouble with the law once, Me...Zero. So statistically it looks as if parental discipline kinda worked here. Not scientifically though. I knew if my dad had to intervene in anything that my mother was trying to stop, (ie: fighting with siblings, not listening.) We were in for it.

Now my Dad was the disciplinarian in my house growing up. He didn't smack us outside the home unless we really deserved it. He would quietly say, "You wait until I get you home.", with a tug at the back of our shirts as he lead us to the car... I knew that the shit was going to hit the fan. My Dad used the belt. I've heard of others using a switch, paddle, wooden stiring spoon and such.Or the ones that had to get there own stick off of the tree. The belt was a kaiki US Navy issued braided belt with a brass buckle on it. Sometimes, my Dad didn't have to say anything when we were in trouble, we heard the "vvvrrrr" of the belt coming out of the loops in his pants and Ohhh Shit.

Now some pacifist, time out, go to your room sort of idiot would have definitely had a problem with my fathers style of discipline. I'm not trying to criticize that type of discipline... well maybe I am. But kids of today seem to get away with shit that I had the sense not to do when I was a kid. Because the "Wait until your Father gets home..." shit meant something.

So Tony Blair (Prime Minister of England) was asked in an interview, whether or not, he smacked his kids. Being a public figure, he paused and had to explain himself for disciplining his older children. Don't worry Tony... If the kid fucks up, smack him. I see it this way, A judge isn't going to have you stand in the corner or go to your room if you fuck up as an adult is he???

Eric