I know that I am of an age where, as a youngster, the climate of opinion was that smacking was absolutely normal – and you, Mike, being almost a generation younger, had a different and slightly more modern upbringing. Smacking may be outdated now – as is good manners – but it’s my opinion that being up-to-date is not always a step in the right direction.
My sister’s two daughters were ideal as far as behavior was concerned and they never needed to be told twice. She never believed in any sort of physical punishment and very rarely had to even give them a talking to. If she had had my eldest boy I think she would have seen things differently! All the talking in the world made no difference to him and that’s why I think banning a parent from smacking altogether would be a backward step.
I would add that my eldest son turned out fine and is more considerate to others than my other kids. He is also more loving towards me than the others so I don’t think it did him any harm.