One thing that is important to bear in mind is, EACH CHILD IS DIFFERENT.
Some kids are born with the sweetest, most respectful personalities you could imagine, right out of the box. Some are born a little on the flip side
Most are somewhere in between.
For my own history, I could count on one hand the number of times I got a swat on the butt as a kid, and I can tell you right here and now, I EARNED
them all. I mean, really, I EARNED them.
My parents were very loving parents when I was growing up, AND I felt as if they were my "friends". I could come to them with any issue I had, and
knew all would be well. But there were a few times that I pushed the limits, intentionally or not, and my mom and dad had no qualms about making sure
I knew the boundaries on the way I SHOULD behave.
I am now a healthy, well adjusted man, and hold no ills towards my parents, at all. In fact, my mother lives with my wife and I because she is unable
to live by herself anymore. I have the utmost respect for her, she does the same with me, because I turned out to be... a healthy, well adjusted man
My point is, that 90+% of the time, a spank is unneeded and just a lazy way of parenting. If a talk can do the same as a spank, do the talk.
BUT.. there are those other 10% of the time, where a decision has to be made, with no anger involved; it's those times that a parent has to do
what's necessary for the betterment of all. Including that child.
Want examples? How about taking it into their heads one day to catch something on fire? To seriously harm another creature? Could go on with the
list, but you get the point.
Again, as I said, every child is different. Every one of them have a different personality and needs to be handled in a different way. I have 3
children, one of them is severely autistic. He is handled with different methods than the others.
Why? because what works with the others, does not with him. Simple as that.
Unfortunately some parents do not remember their own limits, or will use the spank as the first step in whatever they do. To me, that IS wrong.
Teach empathy, teach respect, teach the golden rule... those are the first steps.