schoolofmom

I always assumed I would spank. The only parents who I knew didn't spank were very permissive and I couldn't stand their kids ( ) so I was adamant about it. I had been raised to believe that spanking was the only form of discipline. My parents didn't even send us to our rooms, except to await a spanking.

But then Bishop was born, and I borrowed Dr. Sears' Discipline Book from my midwife (very pro-Pearl, btw, which is so weird). He was anti-spanking, but that was okay because he wasn't a Christian and so didn't know any better. Then come to find out, he *is* a Christian?! I looked at it a whole different way after that. I even managed to convince dh pretty easily that we shouldn't spank (it helped that he was sooo in love with our little guy). Also, I had a deep-seated feeling that spanking would not work for someone like Bishop. It turned out I was right. Kids with DSI have a very difficult (that is to say close to impossible in their younger years) time learning from cause and effect. I think Bishop has been scratched my MIL's cat a thousand times and it was the 999th that finally sank in.

Then Jeri started her board and bravely stated (even before Crystal and Joanne came along to support her) that she didn't believe in punishment at all! I couldn't believe it--was she *nuts*? Slowly, though, I came around to her way of thinking. And I thank God for GCM for helping me change!