Spoil the Parenting Essay Example for Free

Spoil the Parenting Essay In the essay entitled Spare the Rod, Spoil the Parenting, Pitts argues that the traditional, sweeping concept about corporal punishment is no longer acceptable, maintaining that the minor punishment like spanking or swatting the butt of children should be distinguished from the harsher punishments such as the â€Å"shaking and blows to the head or face.† In effect, he does not agree with the idea that all corporal or bodily punishments, notwithstanding their severity, should be considered de facto child abuse (Pitts). He presented several reasons why a reasonable corporal punishment like spanking should not be considered child abuse. First, he argued that spanking should not be equated with stomping, punching, or scalding because they are simply not the same. Second, according to him, it has never been proven with certainty that spanking, as previously claimed by some, leads to mentally unstable children. As a matter of fact, Pitts cited the study conducted by Dr. Diana Baumrind of the University of California which refuted this argument. Third, the suggestion that parents should resort to negotiation instead of applying reasonable corporal punishment is just not feasible because a five-year-old, for instance, would rather scream than talk things over. According to him, negotiating with a child accomplishes nothing more than propping up the child’s self-esteem which leads him or her to the dangerous belief that he or she is in charge (Pitts). Pitts considered spanking a corrective measure which should be applied in order to let the child know who is in charge. According to him, when parents fail in this role, children grow up without respect for adult authority. He explained that history is replete with horror stories involving persons who grew up in such an environment. However, he agreed with those who oppose spanking or corporal punishment, per se, when they say that corporal punishment is not a panacea or a cure-all solution for misbehaving children. He clarified that child-rearing does not only require â€Å"discipline, but also humor, love and some luck.† In the end, Pitts urges parents to take charge, declare a â€Å"benign dictatorship† as our culture dictates. The alternative, he says, are children â€Å"poisoned by self-esteem† and â€Å"self-centered adult[s] ill-equipped to deal with the vagaries and reversals of life† (Pitts).   Work Cited Pitts, Leonard, Jr. â€Å"Spare the Rod, Spoil the Parenting.† Attachment to order #71157717.