Have to agree with you, Doug. I was spanked as a child, and not very often. I found that I didn't enjoy it and I knew that my parents didn't either. I knew why I was getting spanked and could always hear the disappointment in their voices when I had messed up that badly. My parents would always explain things to me, at length. I hated the explanations nearly as bad as the spanking. Like you, I knew the difference between right and wrong and the consequences at a very young age. Has had absolutely zero negative affect on me as an adult or a child. Maybe I was smarter than other kids, as well. Saying that kids can't understand things as simple as good and bad behavior is a bit silly, in my opinion. Coddle and feed that type of attitude and you have a major problem going forward. Much easier to deal with at and early age. I believe that teaching right, wrong, and the consequences of bad behavior is essential in the early years of a child's life. I have never spanked my son. He has always understood the expectations that we have given him with regard to behavior, but with that said and based on my own experience, I would not hesitate to use that form of discipline if I felt it were needed.