I believe in spanking. I was spanked, and see the value in it as a seldom-used, high-end punishment option beyond the social isolationism of grounding or timeout or what have you.
A lot of how I grew up and who I became is due in large part to the discipline I was shown. I value that and respect it more now that I have kids and face the challenges of raising them.
There are few jobs as big as raising responsible and respectful children, and unfortunately there is no surefire playbook for childrearing. There is no one-size-fits-all manual or instruction guide that offers an outline for the steps to turn wide-eyed children into well-adjusted adults.
We all try to do the best we can. We sometimes use the measures at our disposal to try to encourage and to motivate and, when needed, to discipline.
It’s also fair to note that among the foundation of truths on which our society has been built is the right – good or bad, sadly – that the decisions in the upbringing of our children belong first and foremost to the parents.