Line in the sand

[ailbhe]

I've decided that I am just not going to accept "hitting children" or "physically assaulting children" as something grownups can't help doing. If I'm losing my temper that badly, I need help. I have a list of excuses, reasons or triggers as long as anyone's arm, but that doesn't make it ok, and I am allowed to insist that no-one persuade me that it's actually ok to hit children sometimes.

I really, really don't want them to grow up thinking it's ok to hit children "if you're cross enough" or something. I don't want them to fight the same urge to hurt I have to fight.

Also, I want everyone to breathe properly so I can get some sleep, please.

Comments

[mrs-redboots.livejournal.com]

Any child, even the nicest of them, can be utterly infuriating at times, and the urge to give them a sharp swat across the back of the leg can be truly overwhelming. One tries not to give in to it - but if you did, it doesn't make you a bad person! We all do things we wish we hadn't...!

I suppose the thing is to talk it over with her and agree on consequences next time her behaviour becomes unacceptable so that you can remind her of the consequence before she crosses the line rather than after. And if that provokes the response, "Don't care!" as it sometimes can - well, maybe she doesn't at that moment, but she might when you enforce it! Either way, you have a weapon that isn't smacking and she knows what the penalty will be.