Does Spanking kids Work?

[Asclepias]

I think any form of physical punishment for children should be outlawed. I've seen both extremes and its not a pretty sight. I know one guy in prison for killing his father due to the physical and mental abuse he suffered as a child. I know a woman who is a train wreck due to her parents trying to befriend her and withhold all punishment. IMHO raising your child can be done without ever laying a finger on them. It is more difficult especially if your child is willful but the results are outstanding. I relate raising children to training dogs. The same principles apply. You start young. You give them lots of opportunities to succeed. You give them as many yes's as possible. You limit the no's to whats absolutely necessary. You over celebrate their victories and use their losses as learning opportunities. Your disapproval is more than enough to punish a child if you have done everything else at least halfway right.

Asclepias, there are two things I want you to know before we discuss this further. 1), I respect you. 2), you're OK in my book. That said, we disagree a bit on some stuff.

Physical punishment should be legal, so long as it doesn't cross any boundaries. Using a paddle or a hand on the rump is very different then slapping or punching the face, or beating, kicking punching, etc. Evolution made it so that the butt has fat on it, to make sitting more comfortable, while also making disciplining your children easier for both of you.

Sometimes young kids are little demons. I was one of them. Reasoning didn't work. You couldn't reason with me, therefore, you couldn't stop me. Little ones with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be so hyper and inattentive that only a few things will drive the message into the brain, and ensure it's remembered. And along the lines of being a hyper, evil, and intelligent brat, I soon learned that buying my love and obedience could be abused by me. Hitler did it, too. Sending me to my room did nothing, because video games. Having me stand in the corner did nothing but give me time to collect and organize my evil plans. Every little chink in my parents' armor was learned and abused, making it easy to come out ahead in bargaining.

Then the day came when it all stopped. I learned fear. After breaking something else Mom and Dad brought me into the living room, and I was notified that my butt was going to be spanked. This was new to me, because everything had been going so well. The very thought of this impending attack on my behind made me think that maybe, just maybe, my parents wouldn't lay down and take it any more. So with the bending of my body over Dad's knee, and the torture of the eternal two minutes, fear was not only learned... but remembered. Needless to say, so did respect. And with that my dreams of global domination came to an end.

If you my friend can get your children to obey you without having to spank their behinds, you are fortunate. That is rare, and was certainly not the case for my parents. Interestingly enough, we trained our puppy by scruffing her as punishment for biting people, running away, etc. She was a very loving, obedient, loyal sweetheart, and never got in trouble with the pound.

What you've mentioned about celebrating their victories and using their losses as learning opportunities is good, and I could see using that side-by-side with spanking out really bad behavior (maybe a caveat here would be to not over-celebrate, though?). If you were my parent, and I was very young, you would have to control me with spanking (give me very good reason to fear, respect, and obey you), or I'd likely burn your house down because no one's given me reason to not dare explore with matches.

Sometimes spanking is necessary and justified, and if you have reason to do so as a parent, you also have to keep it in moderation.

I would never take disagreement as disrespect. Thanks for letting me know. I respect you as well and you awwright.

The reason I think physical punishment should be illegal is simply because of where you draw the line. A spanking to one person may look like abuse to another. If I beat my kids less than I was beat then I might think it was ok to do it because it was not as bad as what I received. I believe there are some kids out there that do not respond initially to timeouts and reasoning. Those "little demons" would try the patience of a saint. In my experience I have never met a child that doesn't respond eventually to timeouts and reasonings. That being said I have not met every child so I could be totally wrong.

The short time before my parents decided to stop spanking us, spankings only made me mean and evil. I had no fear of anything as a child and I have always had a high pain threshold. I would rather get spanked then be put on punishment. Punishment killed me because I could not do the things I wanted to. What was even worse was when I did something that disappointed my mother. I felt like I had somehow let her down and it made me want to be a better kid.

Just hearing the different stories about others posters childhoods makes me realize just how much we dictate reality through our own personal filters and rationalizations.

 

[Iceweasel]

A homosexual criticizing parental skills. Isn't that quaint?

I was married once to a beautiful, well-raised woman whose father was gay. Imagine that!

I thought people were born gay? Imagine that.

 

[Asclepias]

A homosexual criticizing parental skills. Isn't that quaint?

I was married once to a beautiful, well-raised woman whose father was gay. Imagine that!

I thought people were born gay? Imagine that.

????

 

[JimH52]

My wife and I were foster parents during the days when spanking was allowed. I was president of my state association of FP when the ruling from the state came down outlawing spanking. A lot of FP just gave it up. We went through intensive training to teach FP different methods of discipline.

It seems to me that spanking had its place, but this is a new generation. Many kids would rather be spanked than go through the process of consequence. The fine line between spanking for discipline and parental abuse has taken the former off the board.

So the answer to your question is, Yes, it does work with some kids. But No, it is no longer an option in today's society.

 

[Pogo]

I think any form of physical punishment for children should be outlawed. I've seen both extremes and its not a pretty sight. I know one guy in prison for killing his father due to the physical and mental abuse he suffered as a child. I know a woman who is a train wreck due to her parents trying to befriend her and withhold all punishment. IMHO raising your child can be done without ever laying a finger on them. It is more difficult especially if your child is willful but the results are outstanding. I relate raising children to training dogs. The same principles apply. You start young. You give them lots of opportunities to succeed. You give them as many yes's as possible. You limit the no's to whats absolutely necessary. You over celebrate their victories and use their losses as learning opportunities. Your disapproval is more than enough to punish a child if you have done everything else at least halfway right.

Asclepias, there are two things I want you to know before we discuss this further. 1), I respect you. 2), you're OK in my book. That said, we disagree a bit on some stuff.

Physical punishment should be legal, so long as it doesn't cross any boundaries. Using a paddle or a hand on the rump is very different then slapping or punching the face, or beating, kicking punching, etc. Evolution made it so that the butt has fat on it, to make sitting more comfortable, while also making disciplining your children easier for both of you.

Sometimes young kids are little demons. I was one of them. Reasoning didn't work. You couldn't reason with me, therefore, you couldn't stop me. Little ones with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be so hyper and inattentive that only a few things will drive the message into the brain, and ensure it's remembered. And along the lines of being a hyper, evil, and intelligent brat, I soon learned that buying my love and obedience could be abused by me. Hitler did it, too. Sending me to my room did nothing, because video games. Having me stand in the corner did nothing but give me time to collect and organize my evil plans. Every little chink in my parents' armor was learned and abused, making it easy to come out ahead in bargaining.

Then the day came when it all stopped. I learned fear. After breaking something else Mom and Dad brought me into the living room, and I was notified that my butt was going to be spanked. This was new to me, because everything had been going so well. The very thought of this impending attack on my behind made me think that maybe, just maybe, my parents wouldn't lay down and take it any more. So with the bending of my body over Dad's knee, and the torture of the eternal two minutes, fear was not only learned... but remembered. Needless to say, so did respect. And with that my dreams of global domination came to an end.

If you my friend can get your children to obey you without having to spank their behinds, you are fortunate. That is rare, and was certainly not the case for my parents. Interestingly enough, we trained our puppy by scruffing her as punishment for biting people, running away, etc. She was a very loving, obedient, loyal sweetheart, and never got in trouble with the pound.

What you've mentioned about celebrating their victories and using their losses as learning opportunities is good, and I could see using that side-by-side with spanking out really bad behavior (maybe a caveat here would be to not over-celebrate, though?). If you were my parent, and I was very young, you would have to control me with spanking (give me very good reason to fear, respect, and obey you), or I'd likely burn your house down because no one's given me reason to not dare explore with matches.

Sometimes spanking is necessary and justified, and if you have reason to do so as a parent, you also have to keep it in moderation.

I would never take disagreement as disrespect. Thanks for letting me know. I respect you as well and you awwright.

The reason I think physical punishment should be illegal is simply because of where you draw the line. A spanking to one person may look like abuse to another. If I beat my kids less than I was beat then I might think it was ok to do it because it was not as bad as what I received. I believe there are some kids out there that do not respond initially to timeouts and reasoning. Those "little demons" would try the patience of a saint. In my experience I have never met a child that doesn't respond eventually to timeouts and reasonings. That being said I have not met every child so I could be totally wrong.

The short time before my parents decided to stop spanking us, spankings only made me mean and evil. I had no fear of anything as a child and I have always had a high pain threshold. I would rather get spanked then be put on punishment. Punishment killed me because I could not do the things I wanted to. What was even worse was when I did something that disappointed my mother. I felt like I had somehow let her down and it made me want to be a better kid.

Just hearing the different stories about others posters childhoods makes me realize just how much we dictate reality through our own personal filters and rationalizations.

Between these two views (yours and Wake's) I have to side with the latter. As a Liberal I feel throwing legislating at the problem is always a slippery slope. More effective is to change the culture -- so that the idea of violence and personal abuse is repulsive all by itself. It's the same as my view on gun violence.

And not unrelated, given our obsession with violence common to both.

 

[BillyZane]

Here's a fact.

There is a direct correlation between spanking going out of fashion as a parenting technique and the number of ADHD kids we see out there.

When I was a kid if you weren't paying attention in class you got sent to the principle's office and paddled, then you got another one when you got home. Attention deficit corrected.

Today, they get sent to the nurse and given an Ambien.

I mean seriously. No child has ever been harmed by a good old fashioned spanking and I suggest that any parent who says "no way not under ANY circumstances" is NOT doing their child any favors.

 

[BillyZane]

My wife and I were foster parents during the days when spanking was allowed. I was president of my state association of FP when the ruling from the state came down outlawing spanking. A lot of FP just gave it up. We went through intensive training to teach FP different methods of discipline.

It seems to me that spanking had its place, but this is a new generation. Many kids would rather be spanked than go through the process of consequence. The fine line between spanking for discipline and parental abuse has taken the former off the board.

So the answer to your question is, Yes, it does work with some kids. But No, it is no longer an option in today's society.

speak for yourself, I spank my child when necessary.

 

[Pogo]

Here's a fact.

There is a direct correlation between spanking going out of fashion as a parenting technique and the number of ADHD kids we see out there.

When I was a kid if you weren't paying attention in class you got sent to the principle's office and paddled, then you got another one when you got home. Attention deficit corrected.

Today, they get sent to the nurse and given an Ambien.

I mean seriously. No child has ever been harmed by a good old fashioned spanking and I suggest that any parent who says "no way not under ANY circumstances" is NOT doing their child any favors.

Here's a tool:

Use it. Because without it you haven't brought a "fact" just on your say-so.

Nomsayin'?

 

[Wake]

Here's a fact.

There is a direct correlation between spanking going out of fashion as a parenting technique and the number of ADHD kids we see out there.

When I was a kid if you weren't paying attention in class you got sent to the principle's office and paddled, then you got another one when you got home. Attention deficit corrected.

Today, they get sent to the nurse and given an Ambien.

I mean seriously. No child has ever been harmed by a good old fashioned spanking and I suggest that any parent who says "no way not under ANY circumstances" is NOT doing their child any favors.

Having ADHD, and knowing that it is genetically inheritable, I'd like to better understand your views. Spanking your child won't cure his or her chemical imbalance in the brain. Did you know that those unfortunate children with ADHD were often beaten more than others, because people were ignorant of the disorder? I agree with you that moderate spanking is an effective and acceptable means to discipline children, but I'd like you to elaborate a bit more on your knowledge of Attention-Deficit HYperactivity Disorder, please.

 

[Pogo]

Here's a fact.

There is a direct correlation between spanking going out of fashion as a parenting technique and the number of ADHD kids we see out there.

When I was a kid if you weren't paying attention in class you got sent to the principle's office and paddled, then you got another one when you got home. Attention deficit corrected.

Today, they get sent to the nurse and given an Ambien.

I mean seriously. No child has ever been harmed by a good old fashioned spanking and I suggest that any parent who says "no way not under ANY circumstances" is NOT doing their child any favors.

Having ADHD, and knowing that it is genetically inheritable, I'd like to better understand your views. Spanking your child won't cure his or her chemical imbalance in the brain. Did you know that those unfortunate children with ADHD were often beaten more than others, because people were ignorant of the disorder? I agree with you that moderate spanking is an effective and acceptable means to discipline children, but I'd like you to elaborate a bit more on your knowledge of Attention-Deficit HYperactivity Disorder, please.

Great question, because that guy based on his posts seems to be all about "my way or the highway". Even threatened to 'report' me for disagreeing with him. That's the kind of personality that gives me pause when thinking about concepts of corporal punishment and judgement.

 

[BillyZane]

Here's a fact.

There is a direct correlation between spanking going out of fashion as a parenting technique and the number of ADHD kids we see out there.

When I was a kid if you weren't paying attention in class you got sent to the principle's office and paddled, then you got another one when you got home. Attention deficit corrected.

Today, they get sent to the nurse and given an Ambien.

I mean seriously. No child has ever been harmed by a good old fashioned spanking and I suggest that any parent who says "no way not under ANY circumstances" is NOT doing their child any favors.

Having ADHD, and knowing that it is genetically inheritable, I'd like to better understand your views. Spanking your child won't cure his or her chemical imbalance in the brain. Did you know that those unfortunate children with ADHD were often beaten more than others, because people were ignorant of the disorder? I agree with you that moderate spanking is an effective and acceptable means to discipline children, but I'd like you to elaborate a bit more on your knowledge of Attention-Deficit HYperactivity Disorder, please.

Sure, let me elaborate. I am differentiating between actual medical conditions, and kids who just won't act appropriately.

When I was in school nigh on 25 years ago, we didn't know any kids with attention deficit disorder, yet today every third student has it. I doubt that a medical condition has became that much more prevalent in 25 years. If it has, then we need to be discussing why that is so.

In short, I think many kids who are today diagnosed with ADHD just need to be spanked. That doesn't mean real cases dont exist, I just think it's overly diagnosed. Much easier to give your child a pill than it is to actually parent them.

 

[BillyZane]

Here's a fact.

There is a direct correlation between spanking going out of fashion as a parenting technique and the number of ADHD kids we see out there.

When I was a kid if you weren't paying attention in class you got sent to the principle's office and paddled, then you got another one when you got home. Attention deficit corrected.

Today, they get sent to the nurse and given an Ambien.

I mean seriously. No child has ever been harmed by a good old fashioned spanking and I suggest that any parent who says "no way not under ANY circumstances" is NOT doing their child any favors.

Having ADHD, and knowing that it is genetically inheritable, I'd like to better understand your views. Spanking your child won't cure his or her chemical imbalance in the brain. Did you know that those unfortunate children with ADHD were often beaten more than others, because people were ignorant of the disorder? I agree with you that moderate spanking is an effective and acceptable means to discipline children, but I'd like you to elaborate a bit more on your knowledge of Attention-Deficit HYperactivity Disorder, please.

Great question, because that guy based on his posts seems to be all about "my way or the highway". Even threatened to 'report' me for disagreeing with him. That's the kind of personality that gives me pause when thinking about concepts of corporal punishment and judgement.

I can only assume you're talking about me, and I certainly didn't threaten you in any way , shape, or form.

 

[Asclepias]

Asclepias, there are two things I want you to know before we discuss this further. 1), I respect you. 2), you're OK in my book. That said, we disagree a bit on some stuff.

Physical punishment should be legal, so long as it doesn't cross any boundaries. Using a paddle or a hand on the rump is very different then slapping or punching the face, or beating, kicking punching, etc. Evolution made it so that the butt has fat on it, to make sitting more comfortable, while also making disciplining your children easier for both of you.

Sometimes young kids are little demons. I was one of them. Reasoning didn't work. You couldn't reason with me, therefore, you couldn't stop me. Little ones with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be so hyper and inattentive that only a few things will drive the message into the brain, and ensure it's remembered. And along the lines of being a hyper, evil, and intelligent brat, I soon learned that buying my love and obedience could be abused by me. Hitler did it, too. Sending me to my room did nothing, because video games. Having me stand in the corner did nothing but give me time to collect and organize my evil plans. Every little chink in my parents' armor was learned and abused, making it easy to come out ahead in bargaining.

Then the day came when it all stopped. I learned fear. After breaking something else Mom and Dad brought me into the living room, and I was notified that my butt was going to be spanked. This was new to me, because everything had been going so well. The very thought of this impending attack on my behind made me think that maybe, just maybe, my parents wouldn't lay down and take it any more. So with the bending of my body over Dad's knee, and the torture of the eternal two minutes, fear was not only learned... but remembered. Needless to say, so did respect. And with that my dreams of global domination came to an end.

If you my friend can get your children to obey you without having to spank their behinds, you are fortunate. That is rare, and was certainly not the case for my parents. Interestingly enough, we trained our puppy by scruffing her as punishment for biting people, running away, etc. She was a very loving, obedient, loyal sweetheart, and never got in trouble with the pound.

What you've mentioned about celebrating their victories and using their losses as learning opportunities is good, and I could see using that side-by-side with spanking out really bad behavior (maybe a caveat here would be to not over-celebrate, though?). If you were my parent, and I was very young, you would have to control me with spanking (give me very good reason to fear, respect, and obey you), or I'd likely burn your house down because no one's given me reason to not dare explore with matches.

Sometimes spanking is necessary and justified, and if you have reason to do so as a parent, you also have to keep it in moderation.

I would never take disagreement as disrespect. Thanks for letting me know. I respect you as well and you awwright.

The reason I think physical punishment should be illegal is simply because of where you draw the line. A spanking to one person may look like abuse to another. If I beat my kids less than I was beat then I might think it was ok to do it because it was not as bad as what I received. I believe there are some kids out there that do not respond initially to timeouts and reasoning. Those "little demons" would try the patience of a saint. In my experience I have never met a child that doesn't respond eventually to timeouts and reasonings. That being said I have not met every child so I could be totally wrong.

The short time before my parents decided to stop spanking us, spankings only made me mean and evil. I had no fear of anything as a child and I have always had a high pain threshold. I would rather get spanked then be put on punishment. Punishment killed me because I could not do the things I wanted to. What was even worse was when I did something that disappointed my mother. I felt like I had somehow let her down and it made me want to be a better kid.

Just hearing the different stories about others posters childhoods makes me realize just how much we dictate reality through our own personal filters and rationalizations.

Between these two views (yours and Wake's) I have to side with the latter. As a Liberal I feel throwing legislating at the problem is always a slippery slope. More effective is to change the culture -- so that the idea of violence and personal abuse is repulsive all by itself. It's the same as my view on gun violence.

And not unrelated, given our obsession with violence common to both.

Sometimes you have to legislate culture. At some time in US history it was ok to lynch people. In the wild west it was ok to have gun fights on main street. At another time it was ok to fight dogs. At what point do you stop waiting for culture to change in order to stop heinous acts no matter how accepted they are?

 

[Pogo]

I would never take disagreement as disrespect. Thanks for letting me know. I respect you as well and you awwright.

The reason I think physical punishment should be illegal is simply because of where you draw the line. A spanking to one person may look like abuse to another. If I beat my kids less than I was beat then I might think it was ok to do it because it was not as bad as what I received. I believe there are some kids out there that do not respond initially to timeouts and reasoning. Those "little demons" would try the patience of a saint. In my experience I have never met a child that doesn't respond eventually to timeouts and reasonings. That being said I have not met every child so I could be totally wrong.

The short time before my parents decided to stop spanking us, spankings only made me mean and evil. I had no fear of anything as a child and I have always had a high pain threshold. I would rather get spanked then be put on punishment. Punishment killed me because I could not do the things I wanted to. What was even worse was when I did something that disappointed my mother. I felt like I had somehow let her down and it made me want to be a better kid.

Just hearing the different stories about others posters childhoods makes me realize just how much we dictate reality through our own personal filters and rationalizations.

Between these two views (yours and Wake's) I have to side with the latter. As a Liberal I feel throwing legislating at the problem is always a slippery slope. More effective is to change the culture -- so that the idea of violence and personal abuse is repulsive all by itself. It's the same as my view on gun violence.

And not unrelated, given our obsession with violence common to both.

Sometimes you have to legislate culture. At some time in US history it was ok to lynch people. In the wild west it was ok to have gun fights on main street. At another time it was ok to fight dogs. At what point do you stop waiting for culture to change in order to stop heinous acts no matter how accepted they are?

I hear ya but I don't think anti-lynching laws were at all unreasonable. Nor is criminal child abuse, that's fine. I'd draw the line before making any and all spanking illegal though, even though I can't support the practice morally. It's just too slippery a slope for legislation. It would bring a judicial morass.

And I don't believe culture changes passively by waiting for it but by actively driving it by public opinion. Laws tend to follow public opinion anyway, not lead it. So what we're doing right here is a part of that active process. Bottom line is that popular behavior doesn't change because it's forced to by law; it changes because it desires the change. So the objective is to persuade the desire.

 

[Wake]

Here's a fact.

There is a direct correlation between spanking going out of fashion as a parenting technique and the number of ADHD kids we see out there.

When I was a kid if you weren't paying attention in class you got sent to the principle's office and paddled, then you got another one when you got home. Attention deficit corrected.

Today, they get sent to the nurse and given an Ambien.

I mean seriously. No child has ever been harmed by a good old fashioned spanking and I suggest that any parent who says "no way not under ANY circumstances" is NOT doing their child any favors.

Having ADHD, and knowing that it is genetically inheritable, I'd like to better understand your views. Spanking your child won't cure his or her chemical imbalance in the brain. Did you know that those unfortunate children with ADHD were often beaten more than others, because people were ignorant of the disorder? I agree with you that moderate spanking is an effective and acceptable means to discipline children, but I'd like you to elaborate a bit more on your knowledge of Attention-Deficit HYperactivity Disorder, please.

Sure, let me elaborate. I am differentiating between actual medical conditions, and kids who just won't act appropriately.

When I was in school nigh on 25 years ago, we didn't know any kids with attention deficit disorder, yet today every third student has it. I doubt that a medical condition has became that much more prevalent in 25 years. If it has, then we need to be discussing why that is so.

In short, I think many kids who are today diagnosed with ADHD just need to be spanked. That doesn't mean real cases dont exist, I just think it's overly diagnosed. Much easier to give your child a pill than it is to actually parent them.

...ADHD is an actual medical condition. One may not be sure if it's credible, but WebMD.com seems to have ADHD as a medical issue. You appear to be implying that ADHD is simply kids not acting appropriately, and that it isn't an actual medical condition. This is asked with much restraint: Are you a medical professional?

200 years ago, many people didn't know about much medical conditions, yet today it seems quite a few more have them now than before. I suspect it is because of research. While there's no dispute that ADHD does exist, it wouldn't be surprising if some were diagnosed with ADHD who don't have it. But, please consider that there are also those who have it who haven't been diagnosed. It's true that there have been people in their 40's just now learning they have the disorder.

Progression of time allows progression of research, which means more knowledge. ADHD may indeed be becoming more prevalent because more people are becoming aware of it. Billy, did you know that there are variations of ADHD? Cases do exist because ADHD does exist; it may be that some are over-diagnosed while others go un-diagnosed. Spanking a child with or without ADHD for doing very bad, dangerous things is fine with me. If my parents didn't spank me I'd probably be dead or in jail. I know parents can parent and discipline their children while giving them a proper medication to help with their disorder.

 

[Iceweasel]

Having ADHD, and knowing that it is genetically inheritable, I'd like to better understand your views. Spanking your child won't cure his or her chemical imbalance in the brain. Did you know that those unfortunate children with ADHD were often beaten more than others, because people were ignorant of the disorder? I agree with you that moderate spanking is an effective and acceptable means to discipline children, but I'd like you to elaborate a bit more on your knowledge of Attention-Deficit HYperactivity Disorder, please.

What I know about it is that there are a LOT of kids diagnosed with it. You don't really think they are all chemically imbalanced do you? If so, how did that happen so recently?

 

[BillyZane]

Having ADHD, and knowing that it is genetically inheritable, I'd like to better understand your views. Spanking your child won't cure his or her chemical imbalance in the brain. Did you know that those unfortunate children with ADHD were often beaten more than others, because people were ignorant of the disorder? I agree with you that moderate spanking is an effective and acceptable means to discipline children, but I'd like you to elaborate a bit more on your knowledge of Attention-Deficit HYperactivity Disorder, please.

Sure, let me elaborate. I am differentiating between actual medical conditions, and kids who just won't act appropriately.

When I was in school nigh on 25 years ago, we didn't know any kids with attention deficit disorder, yet today every third student has it. I doubt that a medical condition has became that much more prevalent in 25 years. If it has, then we need to be discussing why that is so.

In short, I think many kids who are today diagnosed with ADHD just need to be spanked. That doesn't mean real cases dont exist, I just think it's overly diagnosed. Much easier to give your child a pill than it is to actually parent them.

...ADHD is an actual medical condition. One may not be sure if it's credible, but WebMD.com seems to have ADHD as a medical issue. You appear to be implying that ADHD is simply kids not acting appropriately, and that it isn't an actual medical condition. This is asked with much restraint: Are you a medical professional?

200 years ago, many people didn't know about much medical conditions, yet today it seems quite a few more have them now than before. I suspect it is because of research. While there's no dispute that ADHD does exist, it wouldn't be surprising if some were diagnosed with ADHD who don't have it. But, please consider that there are also those who have it who haven't been diagnosed. It's true that there have been people in their 40's just now learning they have the disorder.

Progression of time allows progression of research, which means more knowledge. ADHD may indeed be becoming more prevalent because more people are becoming aware of it. Billy, did you know that there are variations of ADHD? Cases do exist because ADHD does exist; it may be that some are over-diagnosed while others go un-diagnosed. Spanking a child with or without ADHD for doing very bad, dangerous things is fine with me. If my parents didn't spank me I'd probably be dead or in jail. I know parents can parent and discipline their children while giving them a proper medication to help with their disorder.

I implied no such thing, and in fact I SPECIFICALLY stated that I know that some kids DO have ADHD, I merely stated that is over diagnosed.

 

[Iceweasel]

Sometimes you have to legislate culture. At some time in US history it was ok to lynch people....

LOL, I couldn't make it past that.

 

[Pogo]

Having ADHD, and knowing that it is genetically inheritable, I'd like to better understand your views. Spanking your child won't cure his or her chemical imbalance in the brain. Did you know that those unfortunate children with ADHD were often beaten more than others, because people were ignorant of the disorder? I agree with you that moderate spanking is an effective and acceptable means to discipline children, but I'd like you to elaborate a bit more on your knowledge of Attention-Deficit HYperactivity Disorder, please.

Great question, because that guy based on his posts seems to be all about "my way or the highway". Even threatened to 'report' me for disagreeing with him. That's the kind of personality that gives me pause when thinking about concepts of corporal punishment and judgement.

I can only assume you're talking about me, and I certainly didn't threaten you in any way , shape, or form.

You're right, it was an empty "threat". But you thought it was real.

 

[Wake]

Having ADHD, and knowing that it is genetically inheritable, I'd like to better understand your views. Spanking your child won't cure his or her chemical imbalance in the brain. Did you know that those unfortunate children with ADHD were often beaten more than others, because people were ignorant of the disorder? I agree with you that moderate spanking is an effective and acceptable means to discipline children, but I'd like you to elaborate a bit more on your knowledge of Attention-Deficit HYperactivity Disorder, please.

What I know about it is that there are a LOT of kids diagnosed with it. You don't really think they are all chemically imbalanced do you? If so, how did that happen so recently?

A majority of those diagnoses may indeed be accurate. The disorder takes many forms; there are at least 10 variations. I acknowledge that some people are diagnosed when they don't have ADHD, but beyond that I don't know specifics. Those who do have the disorder are chemically imbalanced; those who truly don't have it... I'm not sure why they were diagnosed. One reason for the influx may be because research in ADHD has made huge gains with its existence being acknowledged.

Sure, let me elaborate. I am differentiating between actual medical conditions, and kids who just won't act appropriately.

When I was in school nigh on 25 years ago, we didn't know any kids with attention deficit disorder, yet today every third student has it. I doubt that a medical condition has became that much more prevalent in 25 years. If it has, then we need to be discussing why that is so.

In short, I think many kids who are today diagnosed with ADHD just need to be spanked. That doesn't mean real cases dont exist, I just think it's overly diagnosed. Much easier to give your child a pill than it is to actually parent them.

...ADHD is an actual medical condition. One may not be sure if it's credible, but WebMD.com seems to have ADHD as a medical issue. You appear to be implying that ADHD is simply kids not acting appropriately, and that it isn't an actual medical condition. This is asked with much restraint: Are you a medical professional?

200 years ago, many people didn't know about much medical conditions, yet today it seems quite a few more have them now than before. I suspect it is because of research. While there's no dispute that ADHD does exist, it wouldn't be surprising if some were diagnosed with ADHD who don't have it. But, please consider that there are also those who have it who haven't been diagnosed. It's true that there have been people in their 40's just now learning they have the disorder.

Progression of time allows progression of research, which means more knowledge. ADHD may indeed be becoming more prevalent because more people are becoming aware of it. Billy, did you know that there are variations of ADHD? Cases do exist because ADHD does exist; it may be that some are over-diagnosed while others go un-diagnosed. Spanking a child with or without ADHD for doing very bad, dangerous things is fine with me. If my parents didn't spank me I'd probably be dead or in jail. I know parents can parent and discipline their children while giving them a proper medication to help with their disorder.

I implied no such thing, and in fact I SPECIFICALLY stated that I know that some kids DO have ADHD, I merely stated that is over diagnosed.

Oh, ok. When I read the first section in your post regarding "differentiating between actual medical issues," I read it as you implying that it wasn't an actual medical issue. If that is not the case, and that you do acknowledge that ADHD is real, then I apologize for misunderstanding your post. You and I are in agreement that ADHD exists and that there does exist over-diagnosis. The problem is that we both don't know what the exact numbers are.