Spanking Babies

This is a direct quote someone copied and pasted from Lisa's first blog. It can be found on The Bump. I just have to say, if after naming the four things you can't make a baby do, she proceeds to break his will until he speaks to her... what kind of torture did she put her children through to make them sleep, eat, and potty!?

This has been a long afternoon for Mommy and Baby. When I got him up from his nap I said to him (like I do every day), "Say 'Hi Mommy!' " But this afternoon, instead of his usual, "Hi Mommy!" he said nothing. He refused, I mean refused, to say it.
It occurred to me that I haven't shared with you one of my favorite child training tips for babies. Here it is:
You can make a baby do things. For example, if you say, "Pick that up" and they won't do it, you can lead them to the item, take their little hand and make them pick it up.
But there are four things you can NOT make a baby do.
1. Sleep2. Eat/swallow3. Poop/pee4. Speak
In this case, Baby wouldn't say something that I told him to say. It wasn't like he just looked around and did something else. He was obviously disobeying me.
Like I said, I can't make him speak. But I can make him sit; I can make him open a book; I can make him come to me when called. But there is no way to make him speak. So what do I do? I'm glad you asked.
I make him miserable, absolutely miserable. At first I called the other children in and I said, "Say 'Hi Mommy' " and they would repeat, "Hi Mommy". Baby could see their example. He would say hi to them, but not to me. More proof that he is deliberately not obeying me.
Next I got out his favorite snack (he is in my arms this whole time....no opportunity to go anywhere else or be entertained). He reached for it. "Say Hi Mommy". Nothing. I would call in a couple of the little boys. I'd tell them to say it and when they did, I gave them a bit of the snack. Baby would reach for it and I would pull back. "Say 'Hi Mommy' ". It apparently wasn't worth it to him. OK, we'll figure out what is worth it.
I took him back into my room where he begged to see G&G's picture on the computer (this is one of his favorite things to do). "Say 'Hi Mommy' " Nope. Finally I sat him on my lap facing me and when I told him to say it he shook his head, no. So I got my teeny, tiny baby spanker. It's a little back scratcher that barely stings, but it's great for babies.
One little swat and he screamed. "No screaming" I'd say (in a very gentle way....I always spoke gently and calmly) and give him another little swat. When he'd stop I'd tell him again to say "Hi Mommy." Nope. Swat. Cry. Swat. This went on for about 30 minutes. I'd cradle him and rock him and he would be soothed, then I'd tell him again, "Say 'Hi Mommy.' " over and over.
Finally, when I was trying to decide if he would get dinner or not (I was actually thinking I would give him something else besides the pizza that everyone else was having because he is too young to go without a meal), he leaned his head on my shoulder and said, "Hi Mommy." and it was over.
All of the children cheered when I brought him out. He was exhausted, but he got a little snack and a special drink.
Now he's happily eating his dinner and saying "Hi Mommy" all I want.
The victory for me isn't that he will say "Hi Mommy", but that he understands that he has to do what I say. This is a lesson that will carry on into his future and keep him safe and secure. It will help to lead him to that greater relationship with our Lord. Obedience to Christ will come easier to him because of what we have taught him in these formative years.
Of course, I didn't get done what I had planned this afternoon. We had to order pizza because I couldn't make dinner. I had to set everything aside to do this. But I never wished for anything else. It was a great opportunity to spend these precious moments with my sweet boy."