Was it common to hit a child with a household object or deprave them of food for being a slower learner?

[Marblesxoxo]

My mother once told a story about some friend of hers. According to her friend, back in the day a child would get corporal punishment even for not learning his homework on time, for not getting the right answer. It was either that or getting sent to his room without food for hours until he/she learned his times tables correctly.

Honestly, that got me so puzzled. I can't ever understand how is someone even going to learn by getting hit or getting depraved of food. That's so abusive and outrageous. Those folks shouldn't have ever been parents. Isn't learning suppose to be motivating and an enjoyable activity? I fail to understand how is a child struggling with a school course going to magically become successful if you do that? If they're slow learners, shouldn't someone find the roots of what's causing the problem, why they aren't learning, get a tutor, etc.

Updates

5 mo

So basically back in the day, the mother or father would lose their patience if the child wasn't learning and getting the homework wrong. That's not their fault. Everyone learns at a different pace. Some learn quicker than others. That's no reason to get all abusive like that.

[Vesuvius87]

Unfortunately those were abusive ways to ''teach'' a child that was struggling to learn a difficult subject, esp math. It's need abusive to do that to your own child. I'm currently pregnant at this moment and vowed to NEVER ever used corporal punishment on him/her. I really hope they abolish that on every single country.

If you have no patience with your own child, your own flesh and blood, resorting to hitting them (because that's what spanking is... it's straight forward hitting)... then please do not ever reproduce.

[Potteplante]

Hitting children was not abnormal, not that long ago it actually became illegal around places - the English language even has a softer word for it "spanking" which people still practice and will defend with their lives because they have no other discipline methods than hitting their kids into submission.

[Marblesxoxo]

I actually hate it when they refer it to as spanking (it's like they're downplaying it) because to me hitting is hitting. It makes no difference. Yeah some people still do it. It's sad.

[Marblesxoxo]

If we were to strike an adult with a belt, stick, wooden spoon, etc then it would be assault.

[Potteplante]

We don't even have an equivalent for the word spanking in my languages, we just call it what it is - hitting someone.

If we were to slap an adult - it could be viewed as an assault, yet people will be hitting their kids cause they can't get them to "respect" them without.

[Marblesxoxo]

Little do they know that they actually lost the battle because they haven't achieved the goal of actually getting really respected for the right reasons, just feared.
If you can't get them to respect you without resorting to hitting, you lost

[Marblesxoxo]

It means they don't know what to do without relying on a household object.

[AI Opinion]

In the past, some disciplinary practices, like corporal punishment, were more common and socially accepted. However, it's now widely recognized that such methods are not effective for learning and can be damaging. Research shows that positive reinforcement and understanding individual learning needs are more successful strategies. Children benefit from supportive environments where their unique challenges are identified and addressed. Effective learning involves motivation and encouragement, and it's crucial to create a safe and nurturing space for children to thrive. Understanding each child’s needs and providing appropriate support are essential for fostering learning and development.

[Anonymous]

I mean for me as a kid it was and giving anxiety when I didn’t quite get math. But I would also get hit more than once and sometimes thrown into a closet when I’d cry.


On the upside though I can go days without food because my childhood prepared me for it

[Marblesxoxo]

I'm sorry to hear you were a victim of that horrible practice. It's no wonder more people are nowadays against it.

[Cutegirl06]

That's horrible to do to anyone especially a child!! Everyone learns at their own pace and own way they should have tried to find out the way he learns. That's definitely abusive!!

[Vesuvius87]

Indeed. If someone isn't going to take the time and making learning enjoyable for their child, they shouldn't reproduce at all. I'll never understand how can anyone think the more you hit them, the quicker they'll learn. Doesn't make sense at all.

[Cutegirl06]

@Vesuvius87 Righ! And they are associating pain with learning making them avoid learning completely.

[Vesuvius87]

My father was like that towards my younger brother when he was struggling with math. Guess what? He's now 22 and really never learned his multiplication nor division. He can't even get the right change if he were to pay with a larger bill. He's delayed in every other area and doesn't even work yet.

[Cutegirl06]

@Vesuvius87 That's so sad 😞 I'm sorry for your brother 😢

[Vesuvius87]

Yeah it's too late by now. He's been on medication for anxiety and mood swings (OCD as the main diagnosis) for several years now. I'm going to raise my future child differently.

[Cutegirl06]

@Vesuvius87 What does your father say about your brother? Good for you raising your future child differently than what you saw growing up!

[Vesuvius87]

Some days he's worried about what his future and what he'll do if both him and mom pass away. There came a point he once told me privately, along the line... ''I don't know what to do with him. He isn't good at anything, worse than a nobody. He can't do any skill, nothing''. He had a concerned expression.

[slatyb]

That's gross abuse.

[Marblesxoxo]

It is and hopefully that horrible practice gets eliminated for good one day.

[slatyb]

It's illegal in civilized countries.

[Marblesxoxo]

Great to hear that.

[slatyb]

The US isn't one of them.

[Marblesxoxo]

Yeah I've checked it and it's other places like Sweden, recently Japan starting in 2020, Germany, Finland, etc. We're still far behind that. It's sad how some people still rely on belts or other household objects to get their points across, out of fear into submission.