[AZK]

This is coming up because we just started a psych. unit in medical school, but I started discussing this with several colleagues/friends and was kinda of interested by the results.

So, like most boys, I was often punished as a kid for doing retarded [censored]. Totally reasonable, yet out of all my friends, I was the only one that was hit my parents when I stepped out of line. By hit, I mean, my father either smacked me on my ass, and I can only remmeber 3 times when he hit me in the face. These were not beatings. No belt or any other object was used. I didn't suffer any permanent brain damage (or so I assume). I haven't grown up using violence to solve my problems and I don't really buy into the whole people raised with violence in the household are more violent than others. I am not a violent person.

My friends are floored. They cannot believe my parents raised me this way and disagree with it very strongly. I don't think any of us were raised particuarly better or worse than each other, but we are all in the same environment, so it's not an accurate representation of child rearing.

They asked if I would hit my kids if they stepped out of line, and my instinct was "probably." They also flipped out about this, it's probably because how I was raised. So it seems natural. I don't know whether it's important or not (it definitely isn't now) but I remember being the most well-behaved kid compared to my peers when I was little. I frequently remember my parents getting compliments from other parents.

Totally random side note: My parents also frequently did the good cop/bad cop routine, but this was pretty unintentional, my mom was a total pushover, my dad was the hard ass. Ironically (not so ironic?) I am closer with my dad and more trusting and have better time discussing difficult issues. It could just be a function of overlapping interests in life and outlooks.


So.....

1) Were you spanked as a kid?

2) Do you spank your kids?

3) Additional thoughts?