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A Parent's Choice to Empower or to Control Essay

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A Parent's Choice to Empower or to Control

I was raised in a home where corporal punishment was a way of life. My parents, both from a very strict religious background, felt justified in spanking and instilling fear in the name of God. They believed they were fulfilling their parental responsibilities; this is how they were raised by their parents, spanked to ensure respect and obedience. I can remember walking to kindergarten with tears in my eyes. As I walked to school, the tears would roll down my face, and I could not understand the feelings of anger and resentment stirring inside me. As a child I wasn't always sure why my parents, who claimed to love me, chose to spank me. This caused some confusion for me especially when the …show more content…

She would stiffen her body and cry. Once we arrived at the store there were times she would scream, cry and throw herself back if she did not get what she wanted. When she was learning to walk and curious about everything, she would grab everything and anything in her reach. Should I have followed my parents' example and spanked her? What would this accomplish?

There are those who believe that because they were spanked as a child this made them a better person. They knew what the consequences would be if they misbehaved--corporal punishment-- so they avoided getting into trouble. They feel confident that this is the way to raise their children. After all, if they were too fearful to misbehave then so will their children be and if a child stays out of trouble, parents feel they have done well in their parenting responsibilities. They view spanking as a positive tool in child rearing. Spanking may be the easy way out, but I don't believe this is what a child wants or needs. I believe children need values, direction and guidance. I feel children should behave because it is the right thing to do, not because they are fearful. I believe a child needs to feel a sense of freedom to make mistakes and find his/her own way in life. Allowing a child this freedom will enable the child to make choices to control his/her own behavior. I believe a child deserves our respect, patience, love and understanding. In my opinion, spanking does not convey love or respect. The only

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