...says Ottawa should take steps to eliminate spanking and other forms of corporal punishment of children.

“Too often we dictate … to children, and it's just not right.”
Globe and Mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070426.wsenatekids0426/BNStory/National/home)

If it actually prevented some children from getting assaulted, then banning the corporal punishment of children seems reasonable. Likely there are many responsible parents that spank, but they will need to come up with a better method of discipline. However if that method is verbal assaults then the kid would be better off with a smack on butt.

Not dictating to children??? I don't get that...

Generally I concur with Vancouverisland. It's a fine line though ...Not dictating to children??? I don't get that...Some parents seem to use a style, where they simply tell the children what to do all the time, without any input from the child - hard to believe, but when you think about it, this is pretty much how the public school system works, and why so many people come out of the school system without the capability of independent thought.

Generally I concur with Vancouverisland. It's a fine line though ...Ditto.

...when you think about it, [dictating to children] is pretty much how the public school system works...Not just the school system - the "faith" system (whether it's about Santa, the Tooth Fairy or some other mythological creature or deity) works the same way.

It calls for a formal system to monitor implementation of international conventions and treaties, including – in the case of child rights – a group to co-ordinate and monitor federal legislation and policy along with an independent children's commissioner to monitor progress and meet with provincial child advocates.



Especially in these times, we tell our young children it is a safe place, hopefully by the way we treat them in our family unit, giving them a solid sense of self , esteem, and a safe home enviroment, tools to help them grow only to turn them out into a world where a school structure doesn't really appreciate their individuality, their unique level of learning, or their giftedness but we dictate a one for all stamp , a cookie cutter education .one for all , How many teachers are trained to recognise a gifted child? even if they did, the school system is not designed to meet their needs, any more than they are trained to meet the childs needs of disabilities A black and white approach where the grey area is usually not dealt with because it doesn't fit the ciriculum... or they don't have funding or time to deal with it....

the court system has to be looked at too, are we keeping unsafe preditors away from the children? Is that not part of a "childs right" to be safe ( I think we are failing them big time in this area)

To better educate the child we better educate the parent, if you need to verbally abuse or verbally assault your kids, you as the educater/parent failed the course in the first place, this type of parenting says more about you and it has nothing to do with discipline

As for "faith systems" always encourage your childs imagination, take away their imagination, and you have taken away their childhood, imagination enhances their creativity, this helps their individuality,

maybe they write a disclaimer on the end of their stories, where they say "you do not have to believe this" it is your choice :-):p

Children still need discipline and boundaries. Corporal punishment is only necessary when all else fails. It's not the evil some so called advocates would label it. There is a big difference between a smack in the butt to snap junior out of it and punching him in the face, etc.

"When all else fails" it's not the failure of the child, it is the failure of the adult. So why should the child be experiencing the adverse effect of assault?

And it would be assault if I did it to you, so why should it not be assault if I do it to a child?

This all sounds a bit too much like Scientology to me...

What children need is parenting by caring parents/adults. Independent thought is all well and good, but some of today's kids are "way too independent" in that they simply do what they want, which cannot be accepted or tolerated, in children or adults.

As mentioned in an earlier post, there are boundaries for adults and there should also be boundaries taught to children. This is not the job of the public school system, however, due to a severe lack of parenting (or good adult role models) these days, the public school system does pick up a lot of the parenting roles. The public schools even need to parent the parents in many cases, because the parents also grew up doing what they wanted and need to learn the boundaries of living in a civilized society.

As an administrator at a public school, my wife sees this all the time. In a school of 1000, there are about 20-30 students (and their parents) that take up 90% of her time. Most of the other students and parents are "doing fine" and getting on with life.