Let's clear some things up. Spanking as discipline, in a child, is not always abuse. It can be, but just because someone spanks their child doesn't mean they're abusive.
With that being said, I do not condone hitting anyone or anything for any reason. That includes spankig animals or children.
I grew up in a household where spankings were used for everything. My mom was very heavy handed, and even used a paddle on us. It did not teach me discipline, it taught me that my mom was going to beat the crap out of me with a paddle and leave bruises on me. It did not change my behavior, but it did make me angry and hate my mom. It made me grow up thinking it was okay to be beat on, and this led me to get married to an abusive spouse. After many years of abuse, I finally had enough the day he threw me across the bedroom and caused me to miscarry. I left and sought counseling. This made me understand that their behavior was wrong. It also made me realize that hands are not instruments to be used to intimidate a person or animal, and therefore I have never spanked my children or my pets.
Living in fear of the person who is your caretaker is not a fun life.
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"You've never learned to live until you've done something for someone for which they can never repay you."~Ralph Hall. |