Dad Comes Under Fire After Calling His Wife ‘Soft’ For Not Hitting Their Kids

A dad has received backlash online after he called his wife “soft” for not hitting their kids.

Angeline and Anthony Smith, from North East England, have two sons and a daughter who they discipline in different ways.

Angeline, who is a stay-at-home mum has a softer approach compared to her husband, but it doesn’t usually work as the children don’t listen to her which causes their home to “descend into chaos”.

“I am constantly trying to separate them. I will deal with one and the other two will start fighting. When we go out I am anxious as I know they are not going to listen to me. They will be off and I’ll be shouting, ‘Come back!’ but they don’t and anything can happen. I can’t take them anywhere, I can’t take them out of the house,” she says on the television show, Three Day Nanny.

Meanwhile, Anthony takes a much harder approach and gives the kids a quick smack if they are being naughty. He said he wants his wife to do the same because the kids “revel in taking the mick out of her”.

“She gives in too easily. She doesn’t smack and they don’t listen to her. The more she shouts the more they wind her up,” he says.

Angeline admits however that her children do listen to their dad more than her. Because of Anthony’s stricter approach, Angeline threatens the naughty children with what will happen, “when daddy gets home” to try and get them to behave.

However, she thinks his approach is too severe. “We discipline totally differently and we fight about it a lot. I think he is too harsh and he thinks I am too soft,” she says.

Other people on social media think so too, that Anthony immediately was slammed online. He was quickly criticised for using violence as a way to discipline.

Expert Kathryn Mewes, who appears on the show to help the family control their children, is totally against Anthony’s way of punishing a child’s wrong. She recommends sending children to their room as a form of discipline.

Yet, Anthony admits he feels guilty about hitting the kids and only does so when he loses his temper.

Parenting expert and father-of-six, Dr Justin Coulson, who wrote a book titled, 21 Days to a Happier Family, says there are various options for parents who want to ‘discipline’ their children without smacking.

“First, remember that discipline is a two-part process that requires that we teach our children good ways to act, and also reinforce boundaries and limits.

“Second, respond to our children’s challenging behaviour with patience and teaching.

“We obviously cannot teach and guide when children are angry. But we can help them be calm and see their challenges as a chance to connect and teach. This is what good discipline is, and this is what leads to ideal outcomes,” he said.

Source: Kidspot.com.au