Pope Francis: parents can smack their children for bad behaviour

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Pope Francis believes it is fine for parents to smack their children as punishment for bad behaviour.
He made the remarks, which were condemned by campaigners for child protection, in front of thousands of people at his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square during a homily about the responsibilities of fatherhood.
The Pope recalled a conversation he had had with a father, who told him that on occasion he hits his children if they have been naughty.
The Pope, smiling and miming the action of slapping a child on the bottom, said: “One time, I heard a father say, 'At times I have to hit my children a bit, but never in the face so as not to humiliate them.’
“That’s great. He had a sense of dignity. He should punish, do the right thing, and then move on,” he told around 7,000 people gathered in the Pope Paul VI Hall on Wednesday.
telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/the-pope/11392641/Pope-Francis-parents-can-smack-their-children-for-bad-behaviour.html
 
Yawn.

Note well that he does not say that a parent must physically ‘smack’ a child.

Note that he does not say that a child can be ‘smacked’ for no reason, or smacked in an area like the face where there could be danger of broken bones etc.

Many people choose not to ‘smack’ their children at all. Fine. Good. The Pope doesn’t say that these people have to smack their children, or that ONLY ‘smacking’ is appropriate discipline.

The Pope said to one man, in a context in which the report doesn’t mention whatever else the Pope and this man might have also been discussing, that THIS father’s disciplinary actions were, in this case, for this man, a way of disciplining with dignity, and then moving on. Moving on.

Would it be the right thing for another man or another child? No, and the Pope didn’t say it would be.
😃
Remember, people, “who are you to judge?”
 
HH was born in the 1900s.

So was I. So were most of us.

In those years, kids got whupped. It was what was done; and the vast majority both understood and came out OK.

Why react with shock when HH makes a non-binding remark about a practice that is not in itself wrong??

ICXC NIKA.
 
HH was born in the 1900s.

So was I. So were most of us.

In those years, kids got whupped. It was what was done; and the vast majority both understood and came out OK.

Why react with shock when HH makes a non-binding remark about a practice that is not in itself wrong??

ICXC NIKA.
Someone once told me that corporal punishment is a matter of preference, and not bad in itself. However, the minute you hit out of anger, it’s no longer discipline but abuse.

Sounds similar to what HH is saying.
 
I am sure during his years as a priest and bishop he witnessed many kids with bad behavior. There are those years between 18 months and 3 1/2 when kids need discipline. During that time a spanking might be necessary.
 
Someone once told me that corporal punishment is a matter of preference, and not bad in itself. However, the minute you hit out of anger, it’s no longer discipline but abuse.
Nonsense.

If little Johnny takes a hammer and hits his sister in the head, little Johnny needs corporal punishment and if the parent is not angry the parent is not being honest with little Johnny.

Kids need to see RIGHTEOUS anger so they can understand that it is an acceptable and natural reaction to HEINOUSNESS.
 
Nonsense.

If little Johnny takes a hammer and hits his sister in the head, little Johnny needs corporal punishment and if the parent is not angry the parent is not being honest with little Johnny.

Kids need to see RIGHTEOUS anger so they can understand that it is an acceptable and natural reaction to HEINOUSNESS.
Nonsense. More likely, little Jimmy needs education or he was too small to leave alone with a hammer to begin with.

Second, if the parent behaves angrily (which is only natural since it’s one of the seven deadly sinful tendencies) that teaches the child that “My feelings depend on your behavior.” That’s why “being offended” is such a big industry these days; we’re convinced that we have absolutely no control over our emotions, given certain actions of other. There are huge sums of money at stake, based on us all continuing to buy into that mindset, and for the most part we mostly have.

If a parent says that is very wrong, and if the child is of age to understand and was really being me and was capable of receiving and understand corporal punishment, and if the parent wish to do that, fine. With anger, NO. No way. Unless of course they are neighborhood hoodlums who need to be intimidated, in which case the father has probably done other things wrong, too.

Because the only reason we would be “angry” is if Little Jimmie did it out of meanness and anger. And isn’t it funny that we think the way to handle a person with an anger problem is to get angry back at them? A child get angry and hits his sister. So his parents jump in to correct the problem by “getting angry” themselves and hitting the child with something hopefully other than the hammer. :whacky: It makes me wonder where Little Jimmie got the idea of becoming angry and hitting his sister in the first place? What role model did he take after?

Or you could say, “here see how you like to be hit with a hammer.” Just do it with dignity. 😃

For me? It was “the belt.” For my best friend, it was the “cat-o-nine-tails.” 👍
 
Corporal punishment should never be done in anger.

It is up to the parent to decide whether it is appropriate.

I was spanked as a child and I understood the punishment.
 
I was spanked. I deserved everyone of them. If I have a kid, they will be spanked. Time out doesn’t always work.
 
Nonsense. More likely, little Jimmy needs education or he was too small to leave alone with a hammer to begin with.
Lol, as if little Johnny just didn’t understand that he shouldn’t hit his sister in the head with a hammer?

That is fantasy. In the real world little Johnny knows it perfectly well but he is pushing his envelope to see what he can get away with. When Dad pulls his belt out and whack him across his glutes and tells him sternly to never do it again and he is grounded for a week, little Johnny learns that real actions have real consequences. Keeping it all within verbal bounds is like telling stories, playing pretend and make believe.
Second, if the parent behaves angrily (which is only natural since it’s one of the seven deadly sinful tendencies) that teaches the child that “My feelings depend on your behavior.”
So you think ‘righteous anger’ is a sin? So when God gets angry He is sinning too? lol

And, yes, little Johnny should know that the feelings that people have toward him change very suddenly and radically if he does certain things like blowing up a train, or a hitting his sister in the head with a hammer because he thinks its funny, or setting fire to a neighbors house, etc.

You’re darned tootin his actions affect the feelings of everyone around him and to pretend that they do not is hypocrisy.
That’s why “being offended” is such a big industry these days; we’re convinced that we have absolutely no control over our emotions, given certain actions of other. There are huge sums of money at stake, based on us all continuing to buy into that mindset, and for the most part we mostly have.
Nah, that has nothing to do with corporal punishment. In the old days people were innured to little pains and offenses and had much thicker skin. We have all these injured little feelings exactly because these kids don’t know what real pain is.
If a parent says that is very wrong, and if the child is of age to understand and was really being me and was capable of receiving and understand corporal punishment, and if the parent wish to do that, fine. With anger, NO. No way. Unless of course they are neighborhood hoodlums who need to be intimidated, in which case the father has probably done other things wrong, too.
To repress the anger you feel because the child has done something heinous is FAKE, it is pretending to be something (calm) that you are not (outraged that little Johnny did something so intolerable).

If little Johnny keeps pushing the envelope and all you ever do is smile and give him time outs, you will never have little Johnnies respect, which is the FIRST requirement for parenting.
Because the only reason we would be “angry” is if Little Jimmie did it out of meanness and anger. And isn’t it funny that we think the way to handle a person with an anger problem is to get angry back at them? A child get angry and hits his sister. So his parents jump in to correct the problem by “getting angry” themselves and hitting the child with something hopefully other than the hammer. :whacky: It makes me wonder where Little Jimmie got the idea of becoming angry and hitting his sister in the first place? What role model did he take after?
You seriously think that righteous anger in response to an heinous act byh a child ENCOURAGEs the child to do more of the same? lololol
Or you could say, “here see how you like to be hit with a hammer.” Just do it with dignity. 😃
‘Johnny, where is your sister?’

‘In the hospital, dummy, where she needs to be after I hit her with the rake.’

Dad smiles, ‘Well, Johnny, I think we need to have a little talk…’

‘Not now, Dad, I just hit 35th level and it is a really hard one…’

‘Johnny…’

‘Dad shut up already! You’re messing me up!’
For me? It was “the belt.” For my best friend, it was the “cat-o-nine-tails.” 👍
I spanked my daughter maybe 3 times tops, and my son about a dozen. One time I spanked him in anger for something that was extremely wrong and I punished him further. I later took him on a trip and spent some quality time with him after he redressed the problem, and reassured him that I loved him no less.

After he turned 16 I never had an issue with him, and despite his ADD he graduated high school on a low dosage of meds for his ADD, and stopped taking it altogether a year later.

My daughter has turned out well and even my father in law has told me and my wife we have done a great job raisng our kids, and we are both very proud of them.

But the two central axioms we raised them by was 1. as parents our job was to prepare our kids for life, not to make sure they have fun or be their friends. We were not their friends we were their parents/trainers/teachers. 2. We never faked anything with them. If we felt an emotion we expressed it, if we had a thought we told them about it. They never suffered from a lack of praise and love and never were given a shallow faked reaction about anything.

Honesty is crucial in being parents so that the kids have no doubt that mom and dad will do exactly what they say they will and mean what they say when it is said.
 
I was spanked. I deserved everyone of them. If I have a kid, they will be spanked. Time out doesn’t always work.
Lol, you mean all these people with doctorates in child raising are wrong?

lol, you betcha.

Makes me wonder how many of them have more than just two kids with a 7 year gap between them.
 
Corporal punishment should never be done in anger.

It is up to the parent to decide whether it is appropriate.

I was spanked as a child and I understood the punishment.
Because I showed my kids anger from time to time, I didn’t have to spank them nearly so much.

They read the signs and self modified, pretty danged quickly too.

The kids know that when you get angry with their bad behavior it isn’t because you love them any less, but because you do in fact LOVE THEM MORE and so you care about what they do. If your neighbor’s kid acts like a brat it is no emotional provocation for you unless they do something to you, your family or property.

IT is when we care less that we can control our anger more easily and the kids know this.

When we communicate with other people repressing our genuine emotions and presenting a false face in order to get from them what we want, we call that MANIPULATION, not parenting.
 
Lol, you mean all these people with doctorates in child raising are wrong?

lol, you betcha.

Makes me wonder how many of them have more than just two kids with a 7 year gap between them.
I’ve been visiting my aunt and uncle. They have two boys one is ten the other is four. These kids rarely get spanked. My poor aunt and uncle threaten but never follow through. These boys will tell their parents they aren’t going to do things, they demand things from their parents. They have no respect whatsoever. I literally laid in bed this morning hearing a fight downstairs about not having the breakfast he wanted, yelling and screaming at his mom and prayed to God that I would never have ungrateful, bratty kids.
Seeing how these boys act, time out is worthless.
 
Because I showed my kids anger from time to time, I didn’t have to spank them nearly so much.

They read the signs and self modified, pretty danged quickly too.
.
Oh yes! When my momma gave me “the look” I straightened up quick, fast, and in a hurry. And if she called you by first and middle name, you knew you were in for a spanking!
She wasn’t our friend and she would tell us that she wasn’t.

We are extremely close now. I’ve been married for almost 3 years now, living out of state, and I talk to her a couple of time a week. I’m a momma’s girl! Lol
 
Pope Francis will go down in history as the Pope of common sense. Corporal punishment applied with godliness is one of the greatest gifts a child can have.

I can’t ever remember being whupped, but I remember my brothers getting the ‘strap’ and they admit they deserved it. I have always been sensitive and naturally obedient as was my sister. I really think my parents had a godly concept of corporal punishment. Boys really need it.
 
When I was a kid I was beaten with a belt once and a 1/4 in. nylon rope once. Both times for being late.The first time my Dad, probably scared to death, looked all over town when I didn’t come home until well into the evening. The second time I was late for Mass. Was my Dad wrong for doing this? Probably, but I’m 58 and still alive and I’m never late for anything. 🤷
 
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