Scratch that. I am judging you. Yep, that judgment thing that us cohort of mothers are not supposed to engage in because we are all one village? I’m entirely doing it to you, and I’m not going to apologize for it. I suspect that may come off harsh, but what is also nasty is the way you were speaking and grabbing your young boy who couldn’t have been more than 3 years old. More from CafeMom: I Told My MIL To Stop Spanking My Toddler & Now She’s Furious With Me I have three of my own. But, to intimidate your child into good behavior by foreshadowing an abusive act, you’ve got to be off your rocker. NO CHILD SHOULD EVER BE TOUCHED WITH AN INTENT TO HARM. Listen, I get that there are parents out there that believe in spanking. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM. In my opinion, PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IS NEVER THE ANSWER. More from CafeMom: Dad Arrested After Allegedly Spanking Child With Paddle Defends Himself on Social Media Spanking has been around forever, I hear you, and yes, I’ve only been around since 1986, but I’ll tell you this: No one is “better” because of a spanking. Now, maybe I’ve got you pegged all wrong. Perhaps you got your child back to the car and felt horrible about how you berated and imperiled him in front of a bunch of strangers. I can only hope this is the case. I understand that some days “it” and motherhood, well, it’s all just too much. Your son was having a moment, and guess what? So were you. Now think about this: When you are “having a day” and struggling, do you find it helpful when people call you out on that s—? I don’t think so. What if I not only called you out but I did it in front of strangers, and then instead of casually and calmly trying help you recognize, sort out, or solve your perceived or actual problem, I just threatened to hit you upside your head? That seems nonsensical, right? And that’s because it is, whether I was to do it to you or you are pulling that same crap with your developing child. You, my friend (and I use that term loosely), must teach him how to dodge or catch and repurpose the lemons being aimed in his direction. I repeat – the only thing that spanking does is impose fear and cause hurt in the person on the receiving end. I’m typically one who stays neutral on most topics, and although I always openly and honestly share my opinion, just as I am doing now, I typically make sure to acknowledge that my way isn’t the right or only way. Not this time. When it comes to the lives, hearts, and heads of the little people in my home and my village, I will do and say anything that promotes their well-being and stand against any physical violence imposed or threatened upon them. You are not a bad person. You did make a really bad choice, and you made it in front of me. I’ve made bad choices too. I’m a yeller, and that’s something I need to work on. But you must never engage in or threaten physical violence upon your child. It will take valiant effort on your part to rein in your anger and sideline it so that you can be the parent your child needs. Remember, YOU ARE THE PARENT. Your job is to be the calm and not contribute to the chaos. I pray that the majority of you reading this feel the same way as me about spanking and, if not, well, then I pray for an abundance of resilience inside of the hearts, heads, and bodies of the children in your home so they are capable of surviving and thriving in spite of your poor parent choices. From the woman who just spanked you with her words: It doesn’t feel too good, does it?
