What God Says About Disciplining Children #3

As I was preparing to write this blog, Fox News aired a segment http://video.foxnews.com/v/4154593/paddling-problem-in-schools stating that a Texas school district was bringing back the paddle. As you know, this is a very controversial subject.

Corporal punishment (paddling) is still allowed in twenty states in the country. Although, if the ACLU has their way, it won't be for long. Congress, egged on by the ACLU is attempting to ban corporal punishment across the United States. This is just one more way of the government attempting to control our lives by telling us what we can and cannot do when it comes to raising our children.

The Texas school district reports that discipline referrals have dropped significantly since bringing back the paddle. But when there is no fear of punishment, kids will say and do whatever they want because they know there will be no repercussions. Likewise, without the fear of punishment many kids show NO respect for authority (parents, teachers, administrators, and even police officers) whatsoever. It is unbelievable to hear the way many (not all) children talk to authority figures in their lives.

Alice Farmer, spokeswoman for the ACLU states that paddling is cruel punishment that causes great physical harm; she goes on to label it as severe abuse. She says that she could cite numerous cases of severe bodily injury. And that no child in this country should have to go to school in fear of such abuse. Although paddling has been reserved for the more serious offences.

First, let me say that there is a vast difference in child abuse and child discipline. There is no way that a paddle applied properly is going to cause severe physical damage to a child. It will make there bottom red and cause them to rethink what they had done to have to be paddled in the first place.

This not to say that there is not cases where administrators were abusive. But the answer is not to throw the baby out with the bath water. You must deal with the wayward administrator, and keep the train on the tracks so to speak. One way to deal with such an issue as abuse is to incorporate video monitoring of all such discipline. I mean we use the video for everything else now. It only seems logical to use it here as well.

We as Christians have been given some guidelines in the scripture. I listed them in part #2 of this blog series. We are told that we are to discipline our children, and if we don't, we don't love them. We are told to discipline them with the paddle. Foolishnesss is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will remove it far from him (Proverbs 22:15)

Why did God say the rod (paddle, swith, belt)? Why not "Time Out" or Restriction? While I believe these latter two do have a place in the upbringing of children, the paddle cannot be taken off the table as it has been in many homes and schools for the last serveral years. The paddle seems to be more of a deterrent than time out, or restriction. Although, when I was growing up I often preferred the belt over restriction because the spanking would be over soon, but restriction would last for days, or even weeks. It was a really bad day when I got both.

As you read this blog please remember that I didn't write the book; I'm just quoting from it.

There will be one more installment in this series.