Lately (the last 4 weeks to be exact) Sophia has been getting a little bossy and aggressive with her friends (taking/throwing toys, hitting, telling other kids what to do). Up to a few weeks ago, Dan and I had thought we were just going to bypass the whole 'terrible two' phase. Obviously we were wrong. It has been somewhat of an emotional roller coaster for us (read: me) because time-out didn't seem to be working anymore.
Thanksgiving morning Sophia threw a toy out of the bathtub, and we gave her a warning and said if she did it again she would get a spanking. She looked right at us and did it again. Sigh :-/ Dan got her out of the bathtub and gave her the first two swats of her life. I got a little emotional (read: started crying uncontrollably) and had to leave the room. It completely broke my heart :-(
We have always said that the only time I will spank her is if she is hurting herself (ie running in the road/parking lot) or hurting others (ie hitting, throwing toys). Unfortunately, that time had finally come. We had prayed a lot about this, and I have also done a lot of research and reading about discipline and spankings. Ultimately, we felt that this was the right thing to do for Sophia.
Sophia is a such a strong-willed little girl, and she is also extremely bright. This can be somewhat of a dangerous combination if discipline isn't consistent. The good news is that after about a week of testing us, Sophia finally realized that we were not backing down. In the long run there is no doubt that she will benefit from these personality traits, but for now it is our job to shape (not brake) her strong-will. At about the week mark we saw a huge change. The behavior (hitting/pushing her friends) was extinguished for the most part. Looking back, the 'turning point' was within a few days of the first spanking. It is so crazy how fast that turned things around. I don't think spanking works for all kids, but it sure worked for this strong-willed girl! Don't get me wrong, she still has her moments, but for the most part we have our sweet girl back. Hallelujah!!!
1 comment:
:( I feel your pain. There have been a few times that I've thought I was going to need to do it with Conley, and I'm sure that time may still come. If it does, I will also need a shoulder to cry on!!
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