Europeans spank their kids less... Good or Bad? (legal, punishment, spanking)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Heard from the philosopher, Stefan Molyneux that Europeans spank their kids at much lower rates than in the United States. Apparently, this can be attributed to the 'post war' mentality that influenced social development in Western Europe in the latter half of the 20th century which had little in the US in terms of parenting.
My question for American posters, do you think this is good or bad?
I've always wondered something, when European couples move to the US and have children, do they start spanking their kids and vice versa for American couples in Western Europe?
OP, it varies by country, as the above post indicates. And why would Euro expats in the US change their child-rearing customs? Those who feel that spanking is barbaric would have no incentive to change, see what I mean?
Also, in the US, spanking is far from universal. Parents who follow a Progressivist child-rearing model don't spank, and this has been true since the 30's or so. The US is just as diverse in that regard as in any other. Furthermore, parents who are good with their kids from infancy, and succeed in building trust on the part of the child toward them, and a strong bond, have no need to spank. The need simply doesn't arise.
OP, it varies by country, as the above post indicates. And why would Euro expats in the US change their child-rearing customs? Those who feel that spanking is barbaric would have no incentive to change, see what I mean?
Also, in the US, spanking is far from universal. Parents who follow a Progressivist child-rearing model don't spank, and this has been true since the 30's or so. The US is just as diverse in that regard as in any other. Furthermore, parents who are good with their kids from infancy, and succeed in building trust on the part of the child toward them, and a strong bond, have no need to spank. The need simply doesn't arise.
I think in the last 20 years spanking has become very rare in the US. Especially amongst the lower-middle class and higher.
Being seen spanking your child could make one a social pariah and you might even have your children taken away. But if you want to see it in the wild, head to your local Walmart, especially one with a lot of immigrants.
"Allow"? Is spanking illegal in Scandinavia? Could a parent get arrested for spanking their child?
Of course it is. It has been prohibited since 1987 in Norway. Yes, you might get arrested here, so no one spanks kids in public. 5-6 years ago a saw a woman (British, but not of ethnic origin) smack her child in the face in London. I was shocked
All children ARE DIFFERENT.
Some plainly refuse any reasoning, some just want to push their boundaries, some are so quiet that you have to pill them off like chewing gum.
Some don't require any spanking, some do.
There is no one recipe for all.
But I am talking about younger children of course.
When they get older, they already have brains and understand the reasoning.
At this point, if the trust and understanding between child and parent is not established, and boundaries are not set, it's too late to get physical with children. It means the bond is not there, and it will bring only more resistance and trouble.
That's the way I see it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
