I actually don't want to talk too much about smacking here but because it has been in the news a few things have run through my mind. Firstly, I was smacked as a child (not very often) and I turned out fine but I know I won't be smacking our kids (well I dont think so) because I know it's just not the way to teach them. But aside from that my question is about OTHER forms of physical restraint that never gets classified as smacking yet could be as harmful if not more so than smacking.

I have plenty of times, seen parents either at the shops or at school grabbing their kids with such force it takes my breath away. I've seen squeezing of wrists and I've seen forceful yanking of arms. Surely these things are just as bad?

My other qustion is that if your child was in a dangerous situation and rather than smacking them, you grabbed them forcefully would this be just as bad? I know you're trying to remove them from the situation but what if they are hurt physically or emotionally by this? What do you guys think?

I remember when I was a kid if we were playing up in public my dad would squeeze tha back of our necks and whisper for us to calm down/stop etc. It didn't exaclty hurt but we knew straight away what it meant. IS this just as bad? Do we say no physical restraint at all?