Heidi Malan, the chief executive officer of Parent and Educational Training, has continued the debate regarding the spanking of children.
Parents are torn by the court ruling which makes hitting your child illegal in South Africa, with the courts offering no alternative on how better to deal will children when they are wrong.
“We want to be able to raise our children with the methods we choose and rely upon, without any judgment from anyone. But more importantly, we want to raise a child who is self-disciplined, has self-control and an inner sense of personal responsibility, especially when we are not around.
“The biggest question is how do I raise a child that chooses to do what is right, not out of fear, but because of free will,” said Malan.
“Spanking your child is not my answer and the judgment of the high court might just have saved your long-term relationship with your child regardless that you might be feeling uneasy, insulted, or even judged as a parent.
“What part of spanking your child makes you feel successful as a parent. Is it the control, power or the quick and easy way fear sorts out problems. Do not misunderstand me, spanking does work, but at what cost and for how long.”
Nicola Dickason, a resident of Midrand, said, “When my three children were younger I experienced a very real struggle when faced with how to discipline them. The aspect that bothered me was that each of them were so different, how would one generic set of rules benefit these three unique characters.”
