Discipline and the Swedish smacking ban

Fr Tim has a link to a new website www.families-first.org.uk which is set up with the rights of parents in mind. “It supports the rights and responsibilities of parents to protect and guide their children and to bring them up in a reasonable manner, according to their religious and philosophical convictions.”
In the UK there are massive moves to undermine further the rights of both parents and children.
The ridiculous anti-smacking campaign being one of the more poisonous examples.
Those who are against smacking a naughty child are always quick to be dishonest in their use of language. (Perhaps they should read Josef Piepers little book “Abuse of Language Abuse of Power”). They use words such as “hit”, “Beat” “violence” when what they really mean is a smack on the back of a child’s hand as an act of discipline.

Then they jump up and down saying that the ban has worked well in Sweden where smacking was made illegal in 1979. The truth of course is very different. While Joan Durrant of Save the Children has been rather selective it seems in her findings of this “success” there appears to have been a 489% increase in child abuse in Sweden since the ban. Now this could be explained by a number of variables-but those explanations are yet to be found so to say Sweden is a model of no-smacking is premature at the very least.
Dr Larzelere shows that the very same material Durrent uses to show such a success for the ban shows a significant increase in child on child abuse.
The doctor goes on to look at the alarming increase in looked after children in Sweden and compares this to those numbers in the UK and other countries. I want to address that issue later.

Parents have a right and duty to properly discipline our children and there are a number of ways to go about this. Smacking is a viable tool in the discipline of a child.
Screaming, shouting and swearing and name calling on the other hand is not.
Okay, we all shout now and again, but I mean constant bellowing. It’s not discipline anyway, it’s just venting.

I would rather be with a parent who gives a smack when needed than a parent who seems oblivious to their children’s horrible behaviour. I will never cease to be amazed by those who either ignore bad behaviour or make excuses and collude with it. Those same parents will then turn on the parents of the victim child with a bullying and even dishonest attitude rather than deal with their child’s behaviour.
Ask a teacher about this!

It seems to me that if we are to stop the government coming into our homes, we have to take back the reins of our families and remember, especially as Catholics, we have to be a light. Our children need to show respect to others, behave politely and treat younger children with consideration. And most of all they need to be honest.

It’s never too late to start. It’s a lot harder if you start late-but it can be done.
Be honest about your children’s behaviour.
So break out the naughty step, the corner, the apology letters, the privilege losses, the essays and the ‘go to your room’ stuff. It does pay off in the end.