The child determines the appropriate punishment not the parent. The parent finds the punishment that is effective for the individual child. I did not treat my children equally because they each responded differently. Time-outs worked for one, just instruction worked for another, the oldest however only responded to the knowledge that I was willing to administer corporal punishment for specific offenses. (That stopped when I discovered confiscation of electronics/threat of confiscation motivated appropriate behavior).
Whether you have to spank or not really depends on the child. It’s one of many tools one can use for discipline- including rewards, increased responsibility, etc. depending on the age of the child, their temperament and most importantly- what the individual child responds to. Sorry, but some kids only respond to physical discipline.
Note-- that means that after having to administer it a couple of times, the child modifies their behavior based on being told that the consequences for XXX action will be a spanking (two swats to the bottom). If your kid keeps misbehaving, continues the behaviors that you want them to stop----- spanking/corporal punishment is the wrong tool for that child and you need to find something else.
Successful use of corporal punishment isn’t continually whacking your kid. Its establishing that their knowledge of that as a consequence gets them to behave appropriately.
