Move Your Hands!!!!

How far is too far when it comes to disciplining our children? Last year a woman named Sally Lieber tried passing a bill in California that would make spanking a child under the age of 3 a misdemeanor. If convicted, a parent could face up to a $1,000 fine or a year in prison (somehow removing a parent from their child for a year doesn't seem to be the way to make them a BETTER parent).

If you were a California lawmaker, how would you vote?

The bill eventually went away because there was no real way to enforce it without infringing on privacy laws. But when it comes to spanking, should there be legal limitations?

I'll be honest, Christina and I spank our boys. I know some of you don't believe in "corporal punishment," but it's how we were both raised and how we have chosen to discipline our children. We use spanking only as a last resort. Our first priority is to redirect bad behavior through distractions, use time-out, or simply let Levi verbalize his frustrations (eventually Titus will be at that point, but he's not really into verbalizing when he can just scream). Also, we only spank with our hands, we always explain why we are spanking ("You heard Daddy tell you not to do that, then you did it anyway, so that gets a spanking."), and I always make it a point to tell Levi the same thing after I spank him: "Levi, I love you very much and it makes me very sad to have to spank you. But I want you to learn to listen and obey."

So how 'bout it, do you spank your kids? If you don't have kids, will you if/when you do? What is and is not appropriate when it comes to spanking?