Like if your child didn't listen when you would say no, is it wrong to give one spank on the hand and say No?Update:Just asking as my friend does this to her 1 year old.. Created by momma of an 11 month old. pregnancy-parenting-import - parenting-import

Is it against the law to spank a child in Canada?

Verified answer

I don't know if it's illegal or not but I'm in Australia and it's not illegal here. I smacked my son probably from about 10 months onwards. He is now two and a polite well behaved boy.

As long as the parent is smacking properly it does not teach violence or any of that rubbish. It teaches them that if they do something when mummy or daddy says no that there will be consequences. And yes they do understand at that age. There was quite a few occasions when my son knew he wasn't allowed to do something and he would look at me with a real cheeky grin, stretch his hand out, look at me again and touch the buttons on the amp. He knew he wasn't allowed to but he was testing the boundaries to learn.

They way your friend is smacking is fine by the sounds of it. But smacking should never be the only form of discipline. It should be done along with other forms like timeout and taking away privileges. Not every offense is punishable by a smack.

Krysti Nichole

Idk if it's against the law there or not. I personally would not spank my 1 yr old, but I do believe in a little swat on the bottom every now and then when needed for an older child. For a 1 yr old, I would say no firmly and remove him/her from whatever he/she is into. Even though I wouldn't swat a 1 yr olds hand, many ppl do and I do not see it as a form of abuse, just a form of discipline that some parents choose to use.

And a lot of parents that say they would NEVER swat their child on the bottom, usually don't have kids yet. Lol. It doesn't have to hurt, just gets their attention and lets them know their behavior is not acceptable

Wildgrl

Canadian Law is VERY clear. I wish the US would do the same!!!

Spanking IS permitted, but only by a BIRTH parent, between the ages of 2 - 12, With no more then 5 Open hand smacks to the buttocks using reasonable force.

Anything that is outside this definition is considered assault, or abuse.

LoveMyMommyLife

No lol not illegal. Not the most effective parenting, but not illegal.

Also, how old is the child? There is a huge difference in understanding and development between a 12 month old and a 23 month old, although they both are considered 1 year of age

Hannah

I believe it is legal, but you can only use your hand (no objects) and you are only allowed to do it between the ages of 2 and 12. So no hitting babies or teenagers.