Paddling....

[pioneergirl]

Ok, so since this is the closest thing I could find to post this, if it needs moved, feel free, lol....

Many public schools still paddle children. They have specific rules governing the action, such as:

1: offense must be severe enough to warrant out of school suspension (or darn close)

2: a witness must be present

3: no hands, wooden paddle is used

4: parents must consent (some schools have a paper to sign at registration, others on a case by case)

Soooo....how do you all feel about this? Some parents are outraged, mainly the ones that moved their children to a school that condons it. Personally, I think they shouldn't be mad if they did their research on the school, they should know what is going on. It should be no suprise. When I was in school, paddling was the norm, and parents had no problem with it, as long as it was warranted.

 

[PotterWatch]

I haven't heard of that being allowed at any schools around here anymore. I don't know how I feel about it actually. I think that there are probably kids that need a paddling every now and then, but I don't know that a teacher or principal are the ones who should be doing it. I can't imagine that there isn't some other option the school could use.

 

[Beekissed]

I found it very effective while I was in school, but would be largely nonproductive now. The teachers and principals I have met in my children's schools are neither competent nor mature enough in their own minds to decide what warrants corporal punishment. I could see them using it just hard enough to make a kid mad, and that's about it. I could also see them using it in a vindictive manner.

Nope...not nowadays. Back then, but not now. Actually, the teachers and principals I have known have the worst kids! If they ain't gettin' it at home, these people apparently have little, to no, experience with this type of punishment.

 

[FarmerChick]

I never had this in my school years. I never heard of it around here now. I am not for it. I think discipline does belong with the parents to that level.

If Mom got a call from school and I did something bad enough for "paddle" worthy according to the school....well, heck I would get it so much worse from Mom (if she could catch me)---LOL

But then again, so many parents are lacking discipline for kids nowadays....

I don't know..LOL

 

[poppycat]

Wow. I didn't know that was still allowed. I'm not sure how effective it would be given the way things are now.

When I was a kid the rules were pretty consistent between school and home, but I just don't see that so much anymore. My kids go to a really good school but I think that the parents don't back up the schools discipline as well as they could. Instead they question the validity of the disciplinary measure instead of reenforcing it at home.

Just today my kid got in trouble in school and his teacher complemented me on enforcing consequences. She said the majority of parents take the easy way out and just do nothing.

I think when you have that kind of disconnect, paddling would be confusing to the kid and administratively time consuming to the school.

 

[dacjohns]

Where?

I thought that since parents spanking their children is considered child abuse in so many places there wouldn't be any public schools that used paddling anymore.

 

[Cassandra]

I agree it's probably pointless. Thirty years ago when I started school, if a kid got paddled at school, he probably got one at home, too. These days, the school is more likely to get sued. It's ridiculous. If children were taught to respect authority at home, they wouldn't be getting into so much trouble at school, anyway.

I think some of our schools will still paddle. I know the administrators in my district personally and would trust one to give my son a paddling if he needed it. Or they could just call me and I can come whoop his butt.

I'm still not sure if I am going to send him, though. We moved to this district so our son could go to this school. It's the best district in our surrounding counties (five stars & all that.) Plus my husband does a lot of contract work there so everyone knows him. But he (dh) tells me about things that go on while he's working there... like one time he walked by a middle school classroom... the teacher was "teaching" and the kids were just talking and not paying attention, and a couple of boys were busily removing the door from its hinges.

I am seriously, seriously reticent about exposing my child to these undisciplined, disrespectful heathens!

I could train him the right way to act the same way my family taught me: when you see someone acting like a fool, you shun them and talk bad about them. That's how I learned how not to act!

Cassandra

ETA: In Mississippi, it's still OK to whip your kids when they need it!

 

[heatherv]

Wow! I didn't know that there were still schools allowed to do that. Around here they don't. And I (like beekissed) wouldn't trust the teacher's at our local schools to punish my children. I would trust one of the principal's (he's a strong Christian leader and we know him well and trust him) however, I believe it's still the parents responsibility. Even if many are lacking that skill nowadays! When my son went to the school w/ the above mentioned principal, his punishment was calling home.... just sitting there on the phone waiting for dad to answer was torturous enough for him! LOL! We still backed up the principal at home, and would take away privileges for whatever minor problem it was. (there was zero tolerance at that school)

Here, let me give you an example (just one of many) why I don't trust teachers and school staff around here.. two of my children are severely allergic to peanuts, my son is the most sensitive, another reaction could kill him. The staff had all been trained and reminded for months, DAILY. So middle of the year my son's lunch account ran out (you pay ahead of time, and they get a debit card type of thing to swipe) well we never got a letter saying it was even close to running out. Sooooo.... the lunch lady decided to punish my son by telling him in a threatening tone "I'll make you eat a peanut butter sandwich if you don't have your parents pay on that" He was in 2nd grade at the time! He is also a high functioning autistic and doesn't always understand things people are saying. He was traumatized by this and refused to go to school for 3 days until we got to the bottom of it. We spoke w/ the lunch lady, and yes, she DID say that to him. She thought it would "scare" him into having us take care of the problem? Uh... since when is a 2nd grader responsible for taking care of a billing issue? Freakin' nut case! She was suspended w/out pay for a week. But still... she should NOT be working around kids! There were many many more incidents where my son was neglected by school staff. Which is one of the many reasons we now homeschool! Do you think I'd trust that lunatic to discipline my son? No way!

 

[roosmom]

Changed mind about spouting

 

[Woodland Woman]

When I saw the heading I thought this thread would be about canoe trips.