While discussing whether the Bible is right on the issue of spanking, I called my buddy Patricia Bethel for a tête-à-tête, since we had raised our children in similar style and, at times, in the same home. The boys, born three days apart, were in the same household from age six into their early teens. We taught them the scriptures regularly, prayed with them daily and were participant in other activities, home and away, that involved members of the church we attended and their children. We were given what we accepted as the best advice in disciplining our sons who were considered largely to be children with good manners, showing respect, while exhibiting the usual errant conduct given their age.
With no formal classes on parenthood in T&T, we felt fortunate to be the beneficiaries of teachings from people who had used the principles to successfully raise their children. We were taught to reward them with praise and love for all their good efforts, to teach them right from wrong and to share with them the reason for doing right. We were also taught to establish rules of conduct/behaviour and different levels of discipline so they understood each infraction and knew beforehand the consequences. Discipline included teaching, correcting, reinforcing, and punishment, which ranged from reprimanding, time-out, loss of privileges, grounding, to spanking. Spanking was a last resort in some circumstances but in others, such as lying and stealing, they were the go-to punishment.
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