In Your Opinion, What is worse?

*This is purely for thought provoving discussion and not intended to become a debate*

I have always wondered what the take is on What is worse in the gentle parenting sceme of things.

1) Smoking in front of your children, which harms them for life in regards to their physical health

or

2) Smacking, which can cause emotional pain but stops bad behaviour quickly

I understand that this could become a debate very quickly but that is not how it is intended. this is a personal opinion thread only and no flaming please. I have posted this in the gentle parenting section for a reason - that being that the majority are anti smacking so all pro smacking sentiments are not welcome in this thread and will be reported

i personally think smacking is worse. In my opinion that can do a bit more harm then smoking only because its a physical act. Smoking whilst bad, doesnt have contact with a child (ie smoking doesnt touch the child with a hand/object like smacking does). Smoke can be blown away from the child so they cant inhale it....even thought its still in the air, and around the child its not physically effecting them unless they are always getting the smoke in their face to inhale

I know what im trying to say...but i cant type it to make sense!

It's a tough one seeing that I don't do either!

Personally I think smoking is worse from a long term perspective. I'm thinking absolute worst case scenarios here but I think that a cancer that is lethal that was caused by inhaling second hand smoke would be worse than the emotional trauma that could require counselling and therapy. (I am making a big assumption that you mean a one off smack and not a beating here as well).

I think smacking, because it is done TO the child. I think it has more serious consequences than smoking around a child.

Bleh have been trying to get this out eloquently but have failed, so I'll just say "what Kim said" is pretty much what I'm trying to say.

Sorry but I'm going to have to close this thread. When Kelly started the gentle parenting forum this was not the idea of this section. Regardless of intentions, this will start a debate. And its one the moderators would rather see didn't take place. Any queries feel free to contact me personally.