A few words about spanking: We did! The Scriptures command it: “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him” (Pr. 22:15). While this Scripture does not teach all discipline is corporal, “the rod” has its proper use… Common sense dictates that spanking ought to hurt – some. But all parents must understand that spanking is not a beating. Beating a child is abuse. Spanking is a brief, controlled, painful punishment intended to make the recipient sorry he or she committed the offense that brought it about. Very often only a swat or two is necessary. When administering such discipline, we gave the simple explanation, “What you did was wrong.” We did not refrain from expressing our dismay or anger at the wrongdoing. But we always affirmed our love before and after the discipline. After all, godly discipline is an act of love. Similarly, punishment is not positively effective without a background of praise (Kent and Barbara Hughes).