To spank or not to spank. There’s been an ongoing debate on whether or not it’s appropriate for parents to spank their children as a means of punishment for years and the hot-button topic was raised once again following the news that NFL star Adrian Peterson had used a switch to chastise his four-year-old son. These celebrities certainly would object because they are against raising their hands to discipline their children.
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Michelle Obama
First Lady Michelle Obama gave up her career when her husband decided to run for the highest office in the land. Mrs. Obama focused on becoming a fulltime mother to their two daughter Sasha and Malia and during an interview, she revealed that she had tried her hand at using a spanking as a form of punishment but it didn’t work for her. “I did it one or two times and just found it to be completely ineffective because it was less about teaching a lesson and more about my own [feelings],” Mrs. Obama revealed. “Malia was younger, probably 4.”
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Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Alley has been very vocal about her stance on spanking. Growing up, the “Cheers” star had been disciplined by her mother who would whack her with a wooden hairbrush. Because of this, Alley was adamant about not raising a hand to her own children. She likened spanking to child abuse and let her twitter followers know how she really felt: “I have amazing children. I wouldn’t dream of solving ANY situation with them by swatting or spanking them … I was POPPED a lot … doesn’t work.”
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Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith
Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith have admitted that they have taken an alternative approach when it comes to raising their children Jaden and Willow. While the power Hollywood couple has never gone on record about spanking their children, they have said that they don’t discipline their children but instead “create agreements.” “We don’t have rules,” the “Gotham” star once said in an interview. “We come up with agreements. Kids are little people, and we’re in life to guide them. Trying to rule someone is always an illusion, and it’s no different with children.”
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Shaquille O’Neal
It’s not unusual for one parent to be the disciplinarian in the household and while it’s common for the father to take on that role, Shaquille O’Neal opted not to. The former NBA superstar wasn’t one to spank but his ex-wife and the mother of his four children felt otherwise. Shaunie O’Neal admitted to spanking her children when she deemed it necessary. “I just firmly believe in instilling some sort of fear of mommy getting pissed,” the executive producer of VH1’s “Basketball Wives” revealed in an interview.
Mariah Carey
While Shaquille O’Neal shied away from spanking his children, Nick Cannon has been looking forward to playing the role of tough parent. A few years ago when his twins with then wife Mariah Carey were entering the terrible two’s phase, he revealed that he was going be the one Monroe and Moroccan feared. The “America’s Got Talent” host told a TMZ photographer that Carey wouldn’t have to raise her hands towards their twins. “She doesn’t need to [spank], that’s what daddies are for,” Cannon said. “Spare the rod, spoil the child.”
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Matt Damon
In the 2010 movie “True Grit,” Matt Damon played a Texas Ranger chasing after a murderer. In one particular scene, Damon’s character put his 14-year-old daughter over his knee for a spanking. While on the promo trail for the film, Damon revealed that he never raised a hand to discipline his four daughters at home. “I definitely don’t spank ‘em,” Damon said when he was asked on the red carpet how he disciplined his own children.
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Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton grew up in rural Arkansas in the ’60s and early ’70s. His father, who was a high school teacher, was a tough disciplinarian and he would spank his son with a switch. The “Bad Santa” star grew up and had four children of his own but he vowed to raise Amanda, Harry, William and Bella differently. “I mean I can’t imagine laying a finger on my kids,” Thornton admitted. “I go the other way and probably because my father was so abusive.”
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
Kanye West was bursting at the seams and was so excited to announce to the world that he and his then girlfriend Kim Kardashian were expecting their first child. They had already decided what type of parents they were going to be, especially when it came to disciplining their firstborn. “Kim and Kanye decided before North was born there would be no spanking, ever,” an insider revealed to “Us Weekly” magazine. “It’s not how they want to raise their daughter. As North gets older, and when she acts up, there will be time outs, taking away a favorite toy, but absolutely no physical discipline.”
Kourtney Kardashian
Kim Kardashian isn’t the only one in her family who feels strongly against spanking a child as a form of discipline. Her younger sister Kourtney also doesn’t believe in raising her hands when it comes to chastising her three children. Kourtney spoke out against spanking on her mommy video blog. “I know some parents spank their kids and I am really against that,” she said. “We just communicate and I know that he (Mason) may not always agree with my decision.”
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Elisabeth Rohm
Actress Elisabeth Rohm doesn’t believe in spanking. The married mother of one once recalled an incident when her daughter Easton August threw a temper tantrum in public. They had been shopping inside of a department store when Easton had an epic meltdown. Instead of spanking her, the “Law & Order” star simply left the store with her child in tow and headed back home even though her friend insisted, “Don’t let that girl run you over.” Rohm was adamant about staying true to her beliefs and did not spank Easton.
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Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus crossed music genres with his hit song “Achy Breaky Heart” and it took his career to the next level. Despite all of the fame, Cyrus played an active role in raising his large brood. During a 2011 appearance on ABC’s “The View,” Cyrus revealed that he never lost his temper or raised his hands at his six children. “I could never spank my kids,” Cyrus shared with the ladies on the show. “I couldn’t hit my kids. I look back at it and think, maybe I should… I don’t know.”
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Bethenny Frankel
Bethenny Frankel was embroiled in a bitter battle with her soon-to-be ex-husband over their young daughter. Even though she fought for custody of Byrn, the reality star turned talk show host insisted that she doesn’t plan on spanking her daughter as a form of punishment. “My daughter is young, until you get older you don’t know, but I just wouldn’t lay my hands on anyone,” Frankel said to “Parents” magazine. Frankel insisted that she believes in consequences and instead feels that children should be reasoned with in a calm and direct manner.
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Dr. Jenn Berman
On “VH1’s Couples Therapy,” Dr. Jenn Berman works to help celebrity couples realize and work through their own issues in order to improve the relationship. The licensed psychotherapist has also made countless appearances on “The Today Show” and CNN to dole out sound advice. A mother to twin girls, Dr. Berman has revealed she doesn’t believe in spanking or hitting but shared how she parents her daughter. “I love the Positive Discipline series,” Dr. Berman said in an interview. “It’s a really great way for parents to develop a mutually respectful relationship with their kids.”
