I think I got the belt a few times, mainly because my dad got the belt. He was still inexperienced in diverse disciplinarian tactics and psychology. Corporal punishment was fast & painful but very rare and was eventually abandoned. Mainly because I was a model kid, fitting for the Rockwell cover of a Saturday Evening Post ;-)
I don't believe in spanking, though I do believe in "holding" which involves stopping a child from doing something destructive or dangerous and explaining to them why you are concerned. If you keep "holding" in reserve, using it sparingly, it makes quite an impression on a child and when combined with the "serious" tone of voice is an all powerful tool in converying the seriousness of any infraction.
It's okay to look back on one's childhood and see the various flaws one's parents made (at least per one's own standards) but it is simultaneously very important to realize all parents have diverse backgrouds and an uphill learning curve, depending on how young they were when you were conceived. ;-)
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re: My dad, on the other hand...