Children learn from their role models, be they childcarers, parents, extended family or peers. If they see hitting as a way of dealing with a situation, they will learn to face their problems this way, and in years to come we will have a new generation of adults who are unable to communicate except by violence.
Hitting any child is wrong. All it does is stress that 'if I'm bigger I can bully you'. Do we really want children to be scared of us? Wouldn't we rather a child admired us, felt safe with us and loved us?
I have worked in childcare for more than ten years. At no point have I ever used physical punishment on a baby or child. I totally disagree with the notion that smacking is the only way to discipline a child under age three.
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