All of those nanny shows are pure comedy.

I seriously hope that everything that occurs can be attributed to a great editing staff.

I guess it's a cultural thing, but I just don't get why parents allow their children to be in charge. I say that, because I wasn't raised in that sort of culture.

Parents who allow 2 year olds to run the show get what they deserve-anarchy run by a little despot. Yes, they are little despots. No, I don't believe in the inherent goodness of children. I believe in original sin.

I'm sure my views are not typical and I'm sure I'll catch some heat for them.

Too bad Scott McConnell isn't a tenured professor. Then he could do or say whatever popped into his head.

Yeah...I think spanking will be outlawed in the not-so-distant future. That's not a good thing.

I'm not a big fan of corporal punishment but to make mere discussion of it a hanging offense a la holocaust denial pretty well reveals the utter emptiness of many peoples' notion of "academic freedom."

It's comical that a university education department would be so outraged by the suggestion of corporal punishment. Education departments are so not getting it done, you'd think they would welcome anything new.

I know it's not new, but it is new to many. Have you seen the chaos they call first grade today? Never in Mrs. Corwin's class back in '64.

I think spanking a child should be a constitutional right.

I put up with the occasional spanking years ago. As a wannabe parent, I should only be afforded the same right.

Scott, you are right on in your views on the innate nature of children. They are small beasts that must be domesticated. They are quite charming, it's true, but they're also completely uncivilized. I firmly believe in consistent rules consistently enforced. Spanking can be a useful tool in discipline.

I have to admit that I once threatened to leave my husband if he didn't stop smacking our kids, who were quite young at the time. Smacking a toddler is completely useless, all it does is scare them to pieces. Older children can connect the pain/surprise to the action they've just committed and so it can be effective. I can't remember the last time I actually spanked any of my kids (now 4, 6, 8); usually the threat of a spank ("How many spanks do you want?" "None!" "Good, then cut that out right now!") is enough to get the job done. However, that is true only because my kids know I will whack them if they need to be whacked.

All that said, mosttimes a quick whap on the butt is a good way to get their attention and help them snap out of whatever it is that they shouldn't be doing. It is much more effective to impose consequences with some lasting effect (such as taking away the toy they were fighting over) than it is to spank.

Another facet of the whole spanking thing is that some kids are completely devastated by a swat, others couldn't care less, no matter how many times they get spanked. Discipline always, always has to be tailored to the child. There is no one-size-fits-all.

My only thoughts on corporal punishment in the classroom: in 3rd grade, the kid in sitting in front of me was always getting in trouble. One day our teacher swatted at him with a sheaf of rolled up papers, and he ducked, and she got me full in the face. That was well over 30 years ago and I still haven't forgotten about it. From this, I recommend that it be practiced with extreme caution.