corporal punishment

Yesterday afternoon, Jerry and I were entering the Causeway Bay MTR station to go home from his swimming lesson. In front of us, about 4 feet away, was a mother and her young son (probably 8 or 9 years old). They were holding hands and were advancing towards the station entrance just as Jerry and I were doing.

All of a sudden, without any warning, the mother smacked her son up the side of the head with a force so hard that he almost fell to the floor. The pair continued walking without any pause or revelation of what horrific deed had warranted such horrific punishment.

I let a minute go by before discussing this episode with Jerry as I wanted him to have time to digest what he had witnessed. I asked him whether he saw the mother smack his son and he replied that he had. I then asked him what he thought the boy had done to deserve it and he acknowledged that the boy must have been naughty. I took the chance to tell him that, although a smack up the side of the head may not be a very good move, it was something that a lot of naughty children have to endure. I reminded him that the worst that we have done to him is to hit him on the butt or palms and never up the side of the head. He agreed and pointed out that the mother in our scenario just got it wrong and shouldn't have hit the head.

It is interesting how his analysis coverd the mother's act instead of the boy's and how he took a holistic approach in his understanding. This episode has proven very useful as I can now remind Jerry of the way the smacking and ask him to behave or endure that kind of pain and humiliation. So far, it has worked (imagine, less than one day has passed and I've already had to use threats, which shows how he's becoming quite rebellious and difficult!).

Perhaps, one day, anger would take control and Jerry wd get such a smack...I hope for all our sakes it doesn't happen, but I wonder.