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Smacking is distinct from child abuse

Parents are damned it the smack and damned if they don't these days. If we do smack, some child abuse and being unable to control our kids If we use don't others see us as soft touches who let our spoit brats rules rule the roost. It is true that too main parents let then kids run riots these days but I donts think we should have to smack them. old-fashioned discipline doesn't have to invoice violence

I've never hit my three kids, now aged 6, 8 and 10. I think it is counterproductive and teaches childern that violence is the answer. But I know plenty of parents who have and they are far from child abusers. Theme is a hell of a difference between a tap on the bum with a hand or a wooden spoon and abuse.

Parents I know who smack are usually at the end of their tether and use it as a last resort. MY feel awful afterwards.

Smacking is usually triggeted by an incident putting the child or someone else in danger, or the child repeatedly breaking a basic rule One friend with three small children has hit them on the bottom after something serious like biting or continually ignoring requests not to do something destructive. She says she did it out of frustration and would have preferred to but but sometimes it seems like the only way to get through to them. She could never use an implement

"It relieves frustration for a split second but then you fed terribly guilty." she said yesterday. Another doesn't smack her two children and the one time she did, after her daughter kicked her pregnant belly, she felt awful. "What we do instead is time out." she said "Sometimes be (her son) can spend up to half a day in his room."

Experts who say smacking is never Justified we doing the right thing. because their efforts are largely directed at families at risk of seriously abusing their children Australian Childhood Foundation CEO Joe Tucci deals with many families where children are abused and giving these parents a licence to smack could be disastrous.

Whatever the experts or laws say, however, many parents will smack then children Some, like Sunise presenter and father of our David Koch. genuinely believe that in sonic cases it as the best option He says It is wrong to do it when emotional, but an out-of-control child might need tap ."Smacking is very different to being abusive." he said. "I think a smack can he lawful beLati to it actually is a circuit-breaker. if you like, from being out of control."

What we all need is the common sense to tell the difference between smacking and child abuse. And I do believe that most of us parents possess that ability.