Salute to Corporal Punishment

The first time I had ever learned about 'corporal punishment' was in junior high school.
Of course, it had been practiced on me years prior, but I didn't know it had a formal name...other than a good old fashioned butt-whoopin'.
All I could really focus on was the name.  All I thought of was the military.  Was it used in the military?  After seeing the movie "Full Metal Jacket" for the first time, I'm sure Vincent D'Onofrio's character would have wished for it compared with what he got that night in his bunk.
There's a running gag on the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother", where phrases uttered unwittingly by the first person like 'general idea', 'major problem', 'private matter', are followed by the second person repeating the phrase accompanied by a salute.  Yes, 'corporal punishment' would apply here.
My thoughts return to the 1982-83 Kiski Area School District handbook, and the quote contained therein...
"It is important at this time for parents to be aware of the rules and regulations pertaining to corporal punishment.  First, what is corporal punishment?  Corporal punishment is paddling a student.  Hopefully, it is used only when all other types of discipline have failed."
Sometimes it was, and other times, it wasn't.  More often than not, it was a motivational threat uttered by some teachers, and that was enough to keep students in line.  Self included.
Corporal punishment has all but disappeared not just from schools, but from society in general. 
Child advocates call it a counter-productive form of abuse, stating that it has no bearing whatsoever on a child's behavior.  I strongly disagree.
Corporal punishment can be effective if it is truly treated as a last resort, and never as a first line of defense.  Confined to the backside only with no more force other than your bare hand.  And certainly never tempered with anger.
Punishment must be on an even keel that maintains the child's respect towards the parent.  Remember, respect is something that is earned, not demanded.
Those that don't spank often resort to yelling.  This too accomplishes nothing.
I get a kick out of seeing parents yell and scream until they're blue in the face, knowing they're doing nothing other than fostering feelings of fear, hate, resentment and bitterness in their children.
As my golf-happy father-in-law would say "it's all in the follow-through".
When a child does wrong, it must be explained WHY their behavior is wrong and why they're being corrected.  If a child is struck without explanation, it will ultimately lead to defiance. 
Respect is a two-way street.  Never lose sight of this.  Does it mean you have to bow down and kiss your child's backside to make them fall in line?  Of course not.  But your child must be told in a calm and rational tone that there are consequences for errant and defiant behavior, and those consequences will be enforced.  And it's up to you to see that they're enforced.
My 21-month-old daughter has had to learn the hard way about time-outs twice.  She was given ample warning to improve her behavior prior to the time-out.  The time-outs were effective, and she has never had to be spanked.
But that day may come where there is no alternative.
I sure won't look forward to it.  But I won't hesitate to do it.
I got my hindquarters swatted plenty of times in my youth.  Yet I'm successful, I'm not a part of the criminal justice system, and I'm a productive member of society.  Not part of this generation raised on entitlement that we've seemed to have perpetuated.
You can read all the parenting books you want.  But taking time to think things through and drawing from your own past experiences can make all the difference.

NEXT WEEK:  Liar, Liar