The “over the lap” position is recommended for children of all ages because it is comfortable for both participants. As the child is directly in front of the parent, he/she can closely monitor the effects of the spanking; the punishment’s desired intensity is confidently attainable. Also, it gives the parent very good control, and reduces the child’s mobility. Apart from its purely mechanical advantages, spanking a child across the parental lap allows the obvious unpleasantness of the experience to be mitigated somewhat by the extent of bodily contact.