USA Today posted a report today about a Georgia School district starting corporal punishment again in their schools (with parents approval.) After the child has a third offense instead of getting suspended they are allowed to get paddled. This also has the stipulation that the paddling is done behind close doors and with another adult witness. This just has me wondering...WHAT TOOK SO LONG to bring it back?
I grew up in the time frame where we got paddled in school for wrong doings. Our Vice Principle was the one to hand out the punishment but it was a great deterrent for children to do no wrong. I was always in fear of even seeing the paddles that the Vice Principle walked around with...wondering if the ones with the holes were more painful then the full on paddles. I was never going to do anything that got me paddled. I freaked once for being told to stop talking in class.
I don't think this is a social violence out of hand or any other such social media hashtag applied that deserves a stigma for the amount of implied discipline that, honestly, has been missing since right after I left high school in the early 1990s. Our children have no concept of consequences! They do what they want, when they want, whether we want them to or not.
I have adopted 3 foster kids and there is a big difference in the ages (a decade between the oldest and the next youngest). And I can tell you, I see very clearly the lack of knowledge of consequences that our 16 year old has struggled with since she got to us when she was 13. Still today she has no respect for us or any adult. She doesn't even have respect for herself. I am seriously fearful for her future.
I really want to instill the character traits I learned growing up but unfortunately only see that I may be able to do that with my younger children. Who already are trying to talk over us or talk at us like the 16 year old. If the school wanted to help in still these traits, I say more power to them. I give my approval
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