15 SPARE THE ROD; SPOIL THE CHILD.
APPROPRIATELY APPLIED PAIN TO THE BUTT GETS A CHILD’S ATTENTION AND ASSOCIATES
WRONG WITH PAIN INSTEAD OF PLEASURE.

Earlier I mentioned Mr. Spoon. When our children were young, we had a large wooden serving spoon and used it for our “rod of discipline.” We travel extensively in southeast Asia. There, the rod of correction is a cane. In other places, it is a neutral object meant to give minimal pain. The purpose of spanking a child on the butt is to:

•     Get a child’s attention.

•     Help the child associate pain with wrong behavior.

•     Interrupt a child’s misbehavior.

•     Precede a time of correction and teaching.

A spanking forces a young child to stop doing whatever wrong behavior they have been doing. A parent never spanks to hurt a child. The spanking is a swat or two done to show a child that the parent is serious about stopping the wrong behavior, doing the right thing, and receiving repentance from the child.

A spoon is a neutral object rather than a parent’s hand. The butt is a soft, cushioned place that can receive a spanking without any physical damage. Long after a spanking has been forgotten, the child has learned to associate pain with wrong behavior. This is an essential life lesson to learn.

The end result is this attitude in an older child: “Wrong decisions and actions will hurt and damage my life.” Spanking usually ceases around six or seven years of age when withdrawal of privilege becomes a much more effective means of discipline. Parents who spank out of rage and try to cause physical harm are abusive and should be reported to the authorities.

He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly (Prov. 13:24).