Would you prefer that your child be paddled or given a pill?

Question

So many American children are given pills for behavioral problems rather than the paddle of yesteryear. What do you think about that?

Answer 1

I think that we live in a society that believes that if there is even a slight problem, especially in childern, there has to be a medical diagnoses for this.

Look at how many childern are diagnosed with ADHD/ADD for example. Do all these kids honestly need this medicine, or is it only be given because parents don't know how to properly discipline their childern.

I am not condoning paddling as a solution either though. However, I don't think a spanking once in awhile will do a kid any harm, as look as it is done in the intention of trying to guide the kid to good behavior.

Answer 2

I agree, too many kids are given pills instead of taught self-control.  I'm not sure the beginning and end of the fix is the paddle.  How about making sure they don't have too much sugar and caffeine so they can sit in class.  TV at a young age is also thought to rewire kids brains to make them hyperactive, so stop using the TV as a babysitter.  Make sure kids, especially boys, get regular exercise so they can sit still in class.  They are now saying that exercise increases mental intelligence---imagine that!

Answer 3

Paddle for sure.

Spanking shouldn't he considered cruel, my dad sure did set me straight whenever I did anything wrong. And I am a better kid for it.

Answer 4

I both agree and disagree.....

agree:

there are way too many kids on pills, for stupid reasons...maybe cuz the parent cant handle their kid a little active, but newsflash: thats what kids do...or maybe they want a monthly state check for a disablity which really isnt there... it could be so many reasons I also am a believer of whoopings... but not physical abuse.... sometimes I wish I could just bend my son over in the store when he's acting up and give him a good one, but then I worry about ppl calling them special c.p.s on me.. errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I disagree because:

my 5 year old son has been treated in a psych hospital for over a year now and has been diagnosed with adhd, bi-polar, ocd and is borderline autistic.... he NEEDS medicine... needs is the key word... I dont give him pills to have an easy day, I give him them so he can think more clearly, so he won't beat the teacher etc up....

Answer 5

corporal punishment has been shown study after study to have soley negative affects on the chidren. From anger, resentment, approval of violence, as well as others.

But, also not all students needs to be on medications.

I agree, that PARENTS wants the easy way out of parenting so they take them to a GP and say that there child is wild, etc. and the dr gives them meds for ADHD without a proper evaluation and diagnosis.

Answer 6

I think it's important to try other options before resorting to medication, and I think it's important to consider what is developmentally normal for the child.     As to paddling, if your diabetic grandmother needed insulin, do you think paddling her would help?  Some kids need medication.

Answer 7

Some children cannot control their behavior because of conditions beyond their control. These include children with brain damage, fetal alcohol or drug exposure in utero or insults to the brain during birth. Some also have inherited conditions like ADHD, Asperger's or Autism.

Spanking the kids above would be cruelty because they cannot control their behavior without drugs. You have to see what I have seen to truly understand the benefits of drugs on behavior.

Just recently we had a five year old boy who threw tantrums several times a day that were so violent that he hit and kicked any adult who tried to stop him from throwing chairs or computers. His parents beat the tar out of him and were at their wit's end. Nothing helped.

Enter the psychiatrist with an innocent white pill. Now the child is able to study, learn and interact with others very normally. I have seen this happen time and time again. Some children with neurological defects really benefit from medication. To hit them is nothing short of abuse.

While I have jokingly said that we could dispense with a lot of psychologists by bringing back the paddle, it doesn't work for children who cannot help themselves.

In addition, the children of today are not the children of yesteryear.  Many are exposed to drugs, alcohol and cigarettes before they ever set foot on this earth. Many of them come from chaotic, drug filled and and abusive homes and they act out in school. These problems need to be solved before paddling can even start to be effective. I have never seen a seriously acting out child who didn't have either a genetic or birth issue or a horrible home.

Answer 8

The good old paddle! That's what's wrong with these kids now. they lack discipline. A good ol' swat never hurt anyone.

Answer 9

I'm sorry i am not American but your right ..my son Thomas has severe autism ..as soon as he was diagnosed they offered us medication ..NO WAY now 5 years later he is doing well and NOT being medicated.. but i can see this from other parents view if you have a child that doesn't sleep night after night then yes they will require some help

Answer 10

I agree that the pills are reached for too quickly, but I think paddles have been reached for too quickly as well. Both of them can too easily become quick fixes for adults who don't want to be bothered. I want my kids to learn self-control so I have to do a little work, not just beat them into submission.

Answer 11

I agree. Kids are way over drugged. And there is notjing wrong with a good smack on the hand or bottom. People beleive that they are doing these kids a favor by giving them a drug dependance.

Answer 12

Maybe you were the one kid who got the paddle and learned your lesson. Well good for you... but for everyone who learned a lesson were 73% who did not. Our prisons are full of learning disabled who you could beat to death and they still didn't learn. Would a pill have helped some of them? Who knows, but it definatly helps some kids control their impulsive behavior.

50 years ago no one tracked what happened to the 8th grade drop outs who worked on the farm or the corner gas station, never even going to H.S. I know from my special ed work that many of the "town idiots" were indeed learning disabled, mentally disabled or schiophrenic. We saw them around but they never attended school or they had such horrible experiences they left.

There will always be teachers who "take it out on" one kid, over use the paddle or paddle the innocent. Wait until it is your kid who is unjustly accused and punished and see how you feel. What about a phaser? Would you like that used on your kindergardener?

There some parents who could use a few pills...or could the principal paddle them? LOL

Answer 13

Paddle...it would help get rid of some of the sense of entitlement that kids have.  Kids most powerful argument is the ability to point out the limitations of the person disciplining them.  Pills just increase a genetic erosion occurring because of processed goods and a dependency on instant cures rather than self control.  I don't think beating kids is good.  But, I really believe kids need a fearful respect of consequences and the fact that consequences are rather immediate and imminent.  Today schools suspend and try to put the ownership on the parents...which never works because the kids are in charge at home anyway when they get to that point.  It can be done both ways, but I think the paddle done as a way to send a message rather than to inflict hateful harm is good for kids.

Answer 14

bring back the paddle and smacking your kids should not be child abuse,its a fast way of teaching your kids the right way to behave.