The type of discipline used depends on the child who is being disciplined! One of my children would have almost literally broken in two if I had spanked him! To this day, his desire is to please me and not get me upset. When he was younger I had to encourage him to go ahead and try new things and adventure a little. He did know how to sneak, but even that would set him shaking. He's got the biggest heart in the world and wants to protect everyone and is now studying to be a fire fighter.
I have another son who was probably spanked almost every day for a couple of years, at least! He is now happily married and the father of three beautiful children.
Both the girls were so social that removing them from social life was vastly more horrible than a spanking, which was over quickly and allowed great drama on the part of the spankee.
My oldest son had the same giving heart as son #3, above, but did get about five or six spankings during his entire growing up time. Taking away his car keys when he was sixteen and disobeyed was the worst for him!
We spanked for specific and defined reasons. At first it was just for beating up on a sibling, manipulative lying (different from the defensive "no, I didn't do it!" sort), or the kind of in-your-face challenge that dared the parent to exert authority.
We added one more reason when son #2 (the one who is married and a daddy now) decided that there was nothing electrical in the house that should not be taken apart. By the time he hit the dishwasher, we had started spanking for dismantling things that weren't his. It didn't stop him totally, but it did slow him down. He was an expensive kid to raise!
Our children were all so different from each other -- we had to treat them that way, and that included discipline.
We tried to make sure the rules were clear at each stage in their lives. I forget where I learned it, but someone once mentioned that rules for kids should have a kind of reverse hour-glass shape. Just a couple when they are two, and adding as needed as they get older. Maximum would probably be about in jr. hi. Those are hard years! Then start to remove rules as they show more and more ability to accept responsibility and ability to discipline themselves and think things through wisely.
Until they are ready to fly -- then the only rules left should be along the lines of "if you are in our home, let us know where you are so we know how to get hold of you if we need to, no smoking, and courtesy to all". Everything else was finally in their ball court.
How did it turn out?
1. Son, 28, still single. Strong Christian and a lead engineer at a computer firm in the R&D dept. Ready to get married now and looking.
2. Son, 25, gainfully employed, happily married, father of 3. Nominal Christian.
3. Daughter, 22, living in rebellion with a man she is not married to and screams at me when she gets the chance. I hung up on her on Christmas day... Son #1's comment about his loved sister right now is, "Well, that's what happens to you when you live with that much guilt."
4. Son, 19, living away from home, in college, working part time. Still wrestling with God.
5. THE Bianca! 17 and fantastic after so many years of being, in her words, 'a dork'. She is a joy and is really showing wisdom in her ability to think things through. Working her way through her own faith and it seems pretty firmly grounded right now and her life is reflecting that.
6. Son -- profoundly retarded due to encephalitis when he was 3. NO discipline works! We watch him like a hawk. He is 17 and always hungry, which is normal, so the refrigerator is locked!
I think we did well with the discipline. I do know that it must be individual to the child. I also know it must be consistent and clearly understood for any positive effect. Some kids respond to talking and some don't. Know your child.