Did the brawl in paradise actually happen?

Let’s clear one thing up first: I’m not a parent, so I can’t speak from "that side" of the fence, but what are your thoughts on occasional physical discipline for children?
Of course, we are talking about "occasional" and completely rational discipline... I’m not talking about any kind of beating or hitting someone for no reason, nor is it about being excessive over every little thing. Honestly, I don't see anything wrong with a kid getting a belt when they truly mess up big time.

Here is an example from my own life... I think I was probably hit maybe three times in my entire life, and it was always the "classic method" 😁 a belt to the backside... the worst it ever got was when I nearly burned the house down... and let me tell you, the punishment that followed 😉 really stuck with me, and it never even crossed my mind to play with fire near the house again 😁.

So, what do you all think? I know it’s become incredibly trendy lately to shout from the rooftops against any form of physical discipline, arguing that everything can be explained through conversation and setting examples (good luck with 😵 )—but has that approach actually led us to today's "youth" generations? They are undeniably more malicious 😁, cocky, and disrespectful than previous ones... you name it.
I remember my elementary school teachers used to pull my hair when I caused trouble, whereas today's teachers aren't even allowed to raise their voices at kids... maybe that's why we actually held them in respect, rather than pushing them toward certain behaviors I hear kids are getting into these days...

At the end of the day, most of us have probably been disciplined at least once for doing something stupid, so did that make us worse people?

One more thing—people are going to jump on me for this—but there isn't much difference between raising kids and training dogs :d. I might be exaggerating a bit, but hear me out.
Six years ago, I got a small puppy 😍... and I spent time reading those "modern" dog training books (I had two dogs before him) that claim you should never hit a dog or rub its nose in its accidents and things like that.
Fine... for a few months, I tried raising him using just a raised voice or ignoring him, as the books suggest. Results: zero. After I finally rubbed his nose in his mess four or five times, used some newspapers, and sent him outside, he stopped doing it in the house altogether...

Even though everyone’s pushing non-violence like it’s some modern trend, that was never even on my radar before this craze started. Look, I would never lay a hand on my own kid. That's just wrong. It’s honestly mind-blowing that psychologists are only just now catching up to common sense.☕

As for everyone else, feel free to keep hitting your kids if you want... at the end of the day, most people are terrible parents anyway, and these little initiatives aren't going to change a thing.🙄

If a kid tried to light a fire on the balcony and ended up setting the shutters ablaze, and you barely managed to stop the whole house from going up in flames, what would you have done?
I would have sat him down and said, "Look at what you've done, you little troublemaker..." Well, because I did that, I ended up getting a beating and learned some hard lessons. That was that. 😁

I definitely wouldn't lay a hand on him. There'd be some appropriate punishment handed down by the courts.😁

Quincy:

So, if this kid starts messing around with fire on the balcony, and then everything catches fire—shutters going up, smoke everywhere—and you barely manage to stop the whole house from burning down, what would your move be? I’d probably just sit him down and go, "Look at the mess you made, you little troublemaker..."

Honestly, I think the kid would be so terrified by seeing actual flames that they wouldn't ever touch fire again. They’d see firsthand how dangerous "playing with matches" really is. I wouldn't freak out; I’d just look at them, tell them to sit down and really think about what happened, and let them know how much their actions disappointed me (not the child themselves, obviously).

Well, in certain scenarios, maybe not. silentpilot6 actually reminded me of that one guy who just had to set everything in sight on fire. He was just fascinated by the chaos, I guess. 🤷

I honestly don't know how I'd handle a situation like that. Then again, I'm not planning on having kids, so it’s not really my concern either.

To be honest, I wasn't particularly afraid of fire itself... and since I was only about seven or eight at the time, who knows if I even fully grasped the idea that I could actually burn a house down? What I really feared was getting beaten 😁

James Ramirez10 said:Well, in certain scenarios, maybe not. silentpilot6 actually reminded me of that one guy who just had to set everything in sight on fire. He was just fascinated by the chaos, I guess. 🤷

I honestly don't know how I'd handle a situation like that. Then again, I'm not planning on having kids, so it’s not really my concern either.

🤣 Same here. But I wouldn't even lay a finger on a dog, let alone a child...🙂

silentpilot6 said:To be honest, I wasn't particularly afraid of fire itself... and since I was only about seven or eight at the time, who knows if I even fully grasped the idea that I could actually burn a house down? What I really feared was getting beaten 😁

Look, at that age, they could have explained things to you a lot more civilly.😉

Quincy:

I mean, honestly, there are definitely times when that wouldn't apply. silentpilot6 actually just made me think of this one guy I used to know back in high school—he was obsessed with seeing how much chaos he could stir up. He’d just set things on fire if he could get away with it. It wasn't even about being "bad," he was just genuinely fascinated by the reaction. Some people are just wired that way, I guess.

If we're talking about an actual psychological disorder, then a parent needs to be getting that kid to a psychiatrist rather than resorting to physical discipline. If someone is dealing with a mental health issue, hitting them isn't going to fix their brain chemistry. But, if they're just acting out of pure malice? Then sitting them down for a serious talk and using some strategic parenting might actually work.

Quincy:

Honestly, the fire itself didn't really scare me... I was probably only 7 or 8 at the time, so who knows if my brain even had the capacity to wrap itself around the idea of actually burning a house down. To be real with you, the physical discipline was what actually kept me on edge.

They really should have let you get a little "singed" so you’d actually develop a healthy respect for fire. And look, when I say singed, I don't mean you should've been out there torching the whole neighborhood. How are you supposed to grasp why fire is dangerous if you never learn the actual mechanics behind it? Fire burns things—that's its whole deal—it doesn't give you a timeout or a lecture. If it ever came down to it, I’d show my kid exactly what happens when they mess with matches by taking one of their favorite toys and lighting it right in front of them. I'd just stay super calm and say, "Sweetie, if you keep playing with fire, this is how you'll end up—along with Mommy, Daddy, and everything else we own." If that didn't do the trick, I'd definitely be looking into seeing a specialist.

Honestly, you’d basically be burning his favorite teddy bear right in front of him... I swear, that's easily five hundred times more cruel than just a little discipline with a belt. 😁
Professional counseling... it seems to be the big trend lately. I suppose all those high-priced psychologists and psychiatrists have to make a living somehow 😉... but professional help versus a few swats on the backside? I'm picking the latter. 😁

If I had done something stupid like starting a bonfire, my mom would’ve laid it on me thick.

I never did anything *that* bad, but I definitely pulled enough stunts to earn a serious beating.

Honestly, I don't hold it against her. It wasn't like she left scars or anything—just a slap or a smack on the butt.

What really kills me is seeing kids today pulling stunts that wouldn't even cross my mind, not to mention the way they talk.

And then you call their parents, and all they say is, "Sweetie, that's not nice. No, no. Just say you're sorry." So they apologize, sure, but by tomorrow it's the exact same story.

Then they hit puberty and suddenly you can't control them at all because they never actually respected authority. They roam the streets, bullying everyone, and nobody even tries to stop them.

Personally? I'm ALL for discipline, starting from a very young age.

Say whatever you want, I don't care—especially those of you who won't have kids anyway.

Later.

It’s honestly better to never have kids at all than to be an abusive parent.👍

It’s either abusive parents or abusive kids

Choose your parents wisely

Alex Patel96 said:Even though everyone’s pushing non-violence like it’s some modern trend, that was never even on my radar before this craze started. Look, I would never lay a hand on my own kid. That's just wrong. It’s honestly mind-blowing that psychologists are only just now catching up to common sense.☕

As for everyone else, feel free to keep hitting your kids if you want... at the end of the day, most people are terrible parents anyway, and these little initiatives aren't going to change a thing.🙄

Just seeing this now.

Bad parents? In my book, bad parents are the ones who have zero clue where their kids are at any given moment, what they're doing, or how they're performing in school. Basically, parents who are too wrapped up in themselves (or just totally checked out).

I see kids playing around the apartment complex all day and I don't mind, but I don't get how some of them are outside from sunrise to sunset. Sure, it's summer and school is out, but that's how it is year-round. These kids are filthy, rude, unwashed, etc. So where are the parents??

And those who demand a little respect and tell their kids "no" when they deserve it—those aren't bad parents. If anything, I'd say they actually know what their kids are up to and are trying to steer them right. It's a "tough love" situation.

So yeah, here we go, inventing punishments for the next generation. LOL.

quietseal2 said:Just seeing this now.

Bad parents? In my book, bad parents are the ones who have zero clue where their kids are at any given moment, what they're doing, or how they're performing in school. Basically, parents who are too wrapped up in themselves (or just totally checked out).

I see kids playing around the apartment complex all day and I don't mind, but I don't get how some of them are outside from sunrise to sunset. Sure, it's summer and school is out, but that's how it is year-round. These kids are filthy, rude, unwashed, etc. So where are the parents??

And those who demand a little respect and tell their kids "no" when they deserve it—those aren't bad parents. If anything, I'd say they actually know what their kids are up to and are trying to steer them right. It's a "tough love" situation.

So yeah, here we go, inventing punishments for the next generation. LOL.

Luckily, the law doesn't care about your opinion. So go ahead and keep lecturing them, "dear mother."👎

Good grief! Physical punishment as a divine mandate? That is absolute nonsense! By that ridiculous logic, we might as well claim that depressed children committing suicide are also some sort of heavenly blessing!!
Only parents who are deeply miserable and perpetually frustrated advocate for corporal punishment; they cling to it because it’s the only way they can feel a fleeting sense of superiority while striking their children. But mark my words: those children don't actually respect you—they are simply terrified of you. And fear is a temporary state. Once that terror fades and they finally grasp the reality of what you've done to them, they will walk away. They will leave you behind, and frankly, they'll be well within their rights to do so!

silentpilot6 said:If a kid tried to light a fire on the balcony and ended up setting the shutters ablaze, and you barely managed to stop the whole house from going up in flames, what would you have done?
I would have sat him down and said, "Look at what you've done, you little troublemaker..." Well, because I did that, I ended up getting a beating and learned some hard lessons. That was that. 😁

Wait, how on earth did you pull that off without anyone noticing what you were up to? 🤷

Carl Anderson76 said:Quincy:

So, if this kid starts messing around with fire on the balcony, and then everything catches fire—shutters going up, smoke everywhere—and you barely manage to stop the whole house from burning down, what would your move be? I’d probably just sit him down and go, "Look at the mess you made, you little troublemaker..."

Honestly, I think the kid would be so terrified by seeing actual flames that they wouldn't ever touch fire again. They’d see firsthand how dangerous "playing with matches" really is. I wouldn't freak out; I’d just look at them, tell them to sit down and really think about what happened, and let them know how much their actions disappointed me (not the child themselves, obviously).

But a toddler doesn't process communication that way—though a teenager might actually get the point.

A small child sees that kind of talk as a direct attack on them, and—God forbid—it could lead to some pretty serious emotional fallout later on.

It's better to have one "disciplinary moment"😍