When I first heard this story, it was a brief summary and I thought "oh man, AP spanks his kid in a parking lot and some uptight idiot called the cops"
I came here to read the details and oh man, what a 180 I have done.
I know some will defend this as a father giving his boy a little correction in line with what he got. Ya, well there is spanking and then there is this. From what has been written, the kid pushed another kid off a bike. That is a punk kid move, and I support AP in his intent to set the kid right. He doesn't want his kids to be spoiled little brats, good for him.
However, this crosses the line. What these guys don't get is wounds heal, but mental scars remain. Kids may end up being better behaved out of fear, but the memories of the beatings stay with them well into adulthood. This results in problems for the kid as an adult, such as anger issues, or anxiety issues when in conflict situations/dealing with other aggressive adults.
Parenting is hard. I know that for fact, and I also know hard it is not to smack your bratty kid. It takes real patience and courage to discipline your child right. It is something I am admit on, no hitting unless it is a last resort. If hitting has to come it is a hand spank (hasn't happened yet, I fear the day). This whipping crap is awful, and I hope AP enjoys losing tons of money and respect over it. Hopefully it will finally get the message in his dim skull.
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