[RogtamBar]

I'm pretty sure defiant children were not a 'thing' when it was still socially acceptable to use corporal punishment.

And I don't mean parents being sadists for the sake of it, but using it judiciously.

The lesson that resorting to violence results in even more violence thrown back at you and therefore violence is not something to start is a useful one.

Of course, this only works on people or animals with the mental faculties to understand this, so probably it's useless on children less than 6 years old.

[solipsism]

You're "pretty sure" defiant children weren't a thing? Based on what exactly? You think kids just started being defiant in the last couple decades, and before that they were little angels?

Throwing around ignorant information without anything to back it up is typical, but maybe when the implication is that a person should physically abused his child you should hold off until you have more than your gut feeling.

[rymohr]

I don't think abuse was the reason kids were less defiant before.

In the old days they just had more space and time to explore things on their own, work out mini conflicts with other kids on their own, and basically learn the rules of life on their own.

It's really sad how little room there is for kids to do anything truly on their own these days. Once I've saved enough money I'm going to open an adventure land here on Oahu to give kids like my son a place to breathe and be their selves.

[solipsism]

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Good_old_days

Show me some proof that anything is different.

[RogtamBar]

You really think defiant children are like the black knight from Monty Python? That if a violent six year old is given a good slapping, he'll continue being violent ?

[rymohr]

We've tried spanking but it just gets him riled up (and as you noted, more violent).

Not sure what else to do though. He refuses to accept no for answer and insists on doing whatever he pleases whenever he pleases unless you physically stop him.

Hopefully that attitude will make him wildly successful when he gets older, but it's currently tearing our family apart.

[RogtamBar]

>Hopefully that attitude will make him wildly successful when he gets older, but it's currently tearing our family apart.

Willful, defiant children were considered a good thing by in early American Virginian planter colony..