[PornoDoggy]

Look, I'm an old hippie. The activist/comedian Dick Gregory used to say "There are no illegitimate children, but there are plenty of illegitimate parents running around." That designation can apply to a lot more than marital status.

Between my father, my mother, and my stepmother I had excellent parenting role models. As long as I figured out what they would have done in any given situation and then did the exact opposite, I did fine.

My experience (both as a parent and grandparent) and observation tells me that corporal punishment is one of the least effective child discipline practices. I go beyond considering spanking as an "easy way"; it's a lazy way. Parenting takes work. Dealing with problems, including discipline problems, takes hard work.

I have no illusions that becoming a parent makes one qualified to raise children. That being said, if your attitude toward proper child rearing techniques doesn't change once you have one of the little critters, you are a damned fool.