Spare the Rod, Please!

Recently, seen on a church marquee, "Parents and children should be on SPANKING terms."

This little zinger really made me pause. For one thing, I found it inappropriate that a church would post it on their large sign out front. Maybe they want the world to know just how fundamental they are...or archaic.

I do not agree with spanking.

I am raising three boys. If anyone would NEED to spank, I would think it would be me. But, here is where I have the problem with spanking (other than it is beating up someone littler than you are, which is the definition of a bully in my book) when you must resort to hitting your child, it means you have lost control. It means you have NOT done your job as a parent.

Let me explain - in my house, I never have HAD to spank. For one thing, it has never been in doubt who is in charge. My husband and I are the leaders in the household. Our children are NOT secondhand citizens by any means but they know their place in the home. They have been taught from day one to treat us and each other with respect. I have never had to spank because I never allowed a situation to deteriorate to the point that in order for me to feel in control I had to hit someone.

When my 20 year old was about 15, he came home from a friend's house. He commented that this friend treated his mother with a lot of disrespect. He talked down to her and yelled at her. Here was my son's comment to me, "I told him that he wouldn't last a day in my house."

Personally, I took that as a compliment. I am glad my kids know I would never ALLOW someone to act like that to me. So, you see, spanking simply wasn't an option or needed. And, for those of you who are interested, I was not spanked as a child by my parents either.

I am a Christian. But, I believe that the Bible was not meant to be taken literally. Spare the rod? A rod is what a shepherd uses to herd the sheep. He doesn't beat them with it. He prompts and guides his flock. You reap what you sow. I am enjoying my harvest.