Smacking And The Law

By Mark Stephenson

OK, you are fixing the kids’ tea, the older ones are fighting over Playstation, the meatballs are turning to carbon, the baby is yelling for her delayed bottle, and your toddler chooses that moment to investigate the power system with a fork.

So you leap over there, pull the kid away and smack his hand because, well, because you are frightened, and immediate action is required. And yes, there are better ways of dealing with all the above events, but we are not perfect.

There will always be such moments when parenting alone. Well, you dealt with it, no harm was done, nobody died, and they all got something to eat. You did well. Award yourself a beer. You did all the work and took all the responsibility. Your motivation was love, your sole intention to care for your children. The law has no business here.

However, the debate rages on. To smack or not to smack; that is the question, right%3