spanking

Sunday morning was a sad day because I had to spank Caleigh for the first time.  We have been popping her on the hand, but we had to escalate it on Sunday.  Here is the story:  Caleigh was playing in the living room while I was getting ready for church.  When I came in to see what she was doing she had the remote control.  She is not allowed to play with the remote so I said, "Caleigh, give that to Mama."  Caleigh shook her head no and turned around to walk away.  So I popped her hand (we only have been popping hand/ spanking for direct disobedience) and she just looked at her hand and tried to go about her business.  She was totally unfazed - in the past popping her hand has generally been working.  Once again I said, "Caleigh, give the remote to Mama."  And once again she shook her head no, so I popped her hand again - which she totally didn't care about.   So one more time I said, "Caleigh, give the remote to Mama" and she shook her head no and turned around to walk away.  She was only wearing a shirt and a diaper so I said, "Now Mama is going to pop your leg because you disobeyed."  So I popped her leg and she totally lost it - she went beserk crying.  I honestly didn't hit her hard at all but I think she was shocked that I would actually pop her.  After that I told her how much I love her and that I forgive her for disobeying and I held her until she stopped crying.  I honestly felt SO bad about spanking her but I know it was the right thing to do.  I love the book "Don't Make Me Count To Three!" by Ginger Plowman.  It is a great book about biblical training and discipline.  I believe that if I wouldn't have spanked her, then I would have been being disobedient to God.  This except was really helpful, "It is worldly thinking that says, "I just love him too much to spank him."  Ask yourself this question: Who benefits from your decision to not spank your child?  Certainly not the child.  Proverbs 23 makes it clear that failure to discipline with the rod places the child at risk. (Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.  Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death. Prov 23:13-14)  So who benefits from not using the rod?  You do.  You are delivered from the discomfort of spanking your child.  You are delivered from inflicting pain on one who is so precious to you.  You are delivered from the inconvenience of taking the time to discipline the right way.  But God says, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." (Prov. 13.24)