My little girl is 4 now and shes been trying to get away with some bad shit. Trying to hit me. Saying shes 'not my friend' anymore (gets that from school). Kid stuff no less, but as a parent I know if I have to curb this crap early, or suffer later.
My Dad tried the spanking and belt shit on me when I was a kid. Did spanking me work? No. I turned out to be a kid you wish you never had, a real fucked up juvenile delinquent. I remember all the times that I got spanked, the trick was to make a big deal about it, even if it didnt hurt. I made em think they were doing more damage then they were actually doing. In no time I was running around again causing trouble.
Anyway, I came up with another way to try and curb my daughters behavior, my alternative to spanking (for as long as it works). When she does something I dont want her to, I paint a very vivid picture in her brain of the consequences. Thing is, I totally bullshit... but since she is 4, she wont know the difference. If I want her to stop jumping down the stairs, I say some shit like 'stop doing that or else you can slip and fall and your head will ROLL OFF, and, I wont be able to put it back on!.'... things like that. It freaks her out. She asks me back, 'my head will fall off? i cant get it back?!', in a concerned and worried tone.
It works. Compare fears: getting spanked - which is temporary pain, to having your head roll off - which is permanent. Kids are gullible and you can manipulate them far more with words then actions.
