How should I discipline my children? | Rick Jackson

I’m sure most of you reading this were smacked when you were kids. I know I was. I knew when I’d overstepped the mark and learnt from those lessons.

Although not illegal in England, smacking children is very much frowned upon these days. I remember being given a smack in Tesco when I was seven. Today it’s very much socially unacceptable, especially in public.

Yes we have the internet; yes we have computers and tablets and 24-hour kids’ TV on tap, but kids’ have less freedom in 2020.

Growing up, I used to play in an orchard off our street. That same orchard is empty now.

Don’t think for one single minute that I think smacking is OK. I don’t. I wouldn’t dream of harming my children and taking out my anger and frustration on them physically.

But at the weekend I almost snapped, and it dawned on me how in different times, why my parents would have given me a damn good hiding.

It was 2.30am and we heard Freddie playing in his room.

We went in and he’d switched on his TV. We told him it was OK to watch until he fell asleep, but under no circumstances was he to wake his sister.

Within an hour both were playing Hot Wheels, Barbie, and had started to fill small cardboard boxes with water, flooding the place. They had also run pens and pencils up and down the staircase wall.

By 6am they were wired and had rearranged the lounge furniture. When I spotted the pen on the wall, I told Freddie off. He laughed in my face.

I had to count to 1,000. The naughty step or thinking corner doesn’t work any more and threats of calling Father Christmas aren’t as effective as a smack.

Now there lies the problem, working out what works with your kids which doesn’t involve anything physical or bullying.

Therefore, I think it’s harder for parents in 2020 to bring up children... and why I’ve aged 10 years!

Thirty knots, in 25-metre seas, alone in a yacht. Madness…

As Alex Thomson powers south, taking the lead in the Vendée Globe yacht race, you cannot help being in awe of this man and his fellow competitors.

Sailing solo around the world seems ridiculous enough, but racing, doing speeds of up to 30 knots in seas of up to 25 metres, they must have more than a screw loose!

I’ve enjoyed Alex’s videos. His controls are inside the yacht Hugo Boss so at least he’s not getting too wet. What really struck me was the noise generated by those speeds. In his sleeping area, they get up to 135 decibels, which is as loud as a Jumbo Jet taking off – and he still needs an alarm to wake up. I’ll never moan about a bumpy hovercraft ride again!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I’m learning to love lockdown haircuts and saving £20 a pop

I’ve received my second ‘Lockdown haircut’ from my wife and she’s done a superb job. Last time it was a grade 2 all over but this time she’s mastered the blend.

I didn’t get a chance to visit my hairdresser before lockdown 2.0 kicked in, so as my ‘curtains’ were causing me to almost take-off in windy weather, Sarah reached for the clippers.

Before starting, she did what most DIY fans do before learning a new skill, she watched YouTube. Even the kids had a go taking chunks of hair from my skull.

Twenty minutes later she was done and I was delighted. Not only with the result, but also with how she’s now saving me £20 each month. As they say, practice makes perfect.

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