CLIVE SMITH: There's nothing wrong with giving your child the occasional smack on the legs

After Scotland banned the smacking of children, plans are now in place for a three-month consultation in Wales for the same law to be implemented. Furthermore there is increasing pressure for the ban to cover the whole of the UK.

I was smacked as child. In fact the old wooden spoon used to make an appearance on occasions.

The rattle of the kitchen drawer and it would be a race between me and my brother as to who could make the toilet first and lock themselves in. Ah, heady days.

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I don’t think a bit of discipline really does people a lot of harm in the long run though. It’s when people go over the top and use smacking far too often and aggressively that it becomes abuse. People seem to have a problem seeing the difference.

Giving your child an occasional clip on the back of the legs if it’s really warranted isn’t abuse. I’m not talking about putting on your best Texan drawl and shouting ‘you gonna get what’s coming to you boi’, and lashing them with a belt or leaving hand prints.

I’m not saying that’s how I parent, but should other people or the government be getting involved in how someone disciplines their own children?

In 10 years I expect there’ll be a law banning parents from even raising their voice to their children!

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I find it ironic though that the people you see liberally dishing out beatings to their children are usually the parents who have the worst-behaved kids.

I know it’s often bandied about that there is a lack of respect among teenagers and young people in today’s society and it’s probably true to a certain extent. And maybe the more severe punishments in schools and at home which are no longer seen as acceptable have caused this, but on the other hand I’m sure a lot of this is down to people seeing their own era through rose-tinted glasses.

Anyway, the missus is asking someone to put the kettle on. Everyone is ignoring her.

The wooden spoon will be out soon and I will be knocking the kids out the way as we run upstairs.

SPOOKY GOINGS-ON IN THE NAME GAME

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My daughter got one of those Amazon Echo Dots for Christmas. They are pretty good and you can have some fun with them.

But they’re not so good if you like a conspiracy theory or two.

We were playing a game called Akinator with it. It basically asks you questions and then guesses the real or fictional character you are thinking about. It’s very accurate.

I had thought of my character but during questioning I answered three questions in a row with ‘don’t know’. I then looked up the character on Wikipedia for those answers and all of a sudden, after three don’t knows, it guessed my person!

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It’s been unplugged ever since. The kids are getting used to my tin hat.

YOU USED OUR PUBS SO DON’T MOAN WHEN WE APPEAR IN YOUR GYMS

I came across an article headlined Why are Americans getting fatter? Stupid question really.

The same reason people in this country are. The same reason why my work trousers were harder to pull on after Christmas.

Eating too much bad food and not getting enough exercise.

But as we finish off the last of the Quality Street (the gold ones are always left until last) and head for the gym for a few weeks of good intentions, regular gym goers will moan about we ‘normal’ people being in there.

But hey! Did we moan over Christmas when you were in our pubs with your skinny-fit tops and ankle showing trousers.

No. So, pipe down!