Having slept on this, and then waking up to new comments, I guess I must clarify a few things. First, my examples were just that. You can substitute an electrical outlet for anything that's going to be painful and potentially cause great bodily harm/injury; touching a hot surface, running out into the street, being mean or aggressive towards a pet. Nature and life can often be unforgiving, and when you go too far, it can be painful. Pain often teaches us not to do something. Imo I would rather my child recieve a short quick (ultimately harmless) pain from me, someone who loves him, than the more painful and lasting effects of a dog bite, a burn, an electric shock, or getting hit by a car...
I agree with you cofty. Consistency in discipline is a must. Children push boundaries naturally and giving in to that isn't conducive to raising a well behaved child, or future adult. Problem is, all children are different, what works for one child will not always work for another. Some kids are stubborn and even defiant, at times.
My final thought here is for quite a few of you commenting, you keep referring to beating and hitting. A spanking is not beating or hitting. It is an open hand series of smacks on their bottom or hands, generally 3 or less. Force used appropriate to age and size of child. I am curious, those of you who are in disagreement with spanking; were you spanked as a child, or were you hit, beaten, kicked, punched, or otherwise abused? Do you have children of your own? More than one child? More than two?
I have 3. Each one different. I am not a perfect parent, but I tried to keep rules simple and just. I learned that what worked with my first child didn't work with the second. The first was easy. The second was much more difficult. At times defiant. The third, easier than the first two. I also learned that what seemed like a big deal with the first two, usually wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it to be, and that was reflected in the way I disciplined my last one. Letting things go that I didn't with the first one or two. That's on me, and my imperfect personality traits. But you learn and you move forward. They are young adults now, good, well adjusted, productive people. So I'm sticking by my original statement; most discipline can be handled without spanking, but there are times when it is warranted and needed.