Do you agree with Kate Ivens that smacking is the same as breastfeeding ?

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Kate Ivens, from the Campaign for Real Education, has been slammed by Good Morning Britain viewers after comparing smacking children to breastfeeding.

Kate Ivens, from the Campaign for Real Education, appeared on Tuesday’s show and said that if parents have a physical relationship with their kids through nursing, their punishments should also be “tactile.”

She admitted that when her kids were small they were smacked due to it being challenging to “reason” with them because of their age.

The fiery live debate saw her go up against former teacher Sue Atkins, who said she believes that smacking children “traumatizes” them.

While 54 percent of GMB viewers said they thought smacking kids was acceptable in a poll on the topic, Twitter users were left divided with some calling it “abusive.”

On the show, Kate said: “’I’m saying we have a tactile relationship with our children; we hug them, we kiss them, we breastfeed them and so on and there are times when, like the child running out into the road, I remember when my children did that and I shook them [and said] ‘Never you do this again.’

“After that my children would run freely down the road with complete freedom and always stopped at the curb, always.”

Hosts Jeremy Kyle and Kate Garraway said the topic could raise the issue of where parents draw the line when it comes to physically disciplining their offspring.

Jeremy said: “I’ve been in a supermarket and I’ve seen a woman whack a child leaving marks on the back of his legs, terribly uncomfortable but I probably got a clip round the ear as a kid.”

Meanwhile Kate argued: “Is it always wrong? I think the thing about smacking is, in order to be clear, because there’s so many interpretations of what a smack is, people feel like they have to come down on one side or another.”

Parenting Author of ‘ Parenting Made Easy – How To Raise Happy Children Sue Atkins said that while kids do need firm boundaries, violence should not be condoned.

She said: “I used to be a deputy head and class teacher for 25 years so if a child hits another child in the playground, you say that’s aggression.

“If an adult hits another adult in a pub you say that’s assault. If I hit, or a parent hits a child, you say ‘oh no that’s discipline’.”

Many people took to Twitter to share their views on the divisive topic.

User @BelascoAnnie said: “Smacking a child is a lack of parenting skills. Let’s raise children that don’t need to recover from childhood #GMB #smacking #mentalhealth.”

And @linannlum said: “Smacking children is already illegal in Scotland! It’s abusive to hit children.”

Meanwhile @Cheeky__Cherub said: “Teaching our kids respect by smacking them, but also teaching violence… Hypocrites! #GoodMorningBritain.”

However some people agreed with smacking their children and said it was a normal way to disciple them.

@vickykeenan35 said: “Did me no harm my mum would give us a smack if we don’t owt wrong! I also did with my daughter if she was naughty.”

And @louisemartin_x said: “A smack never did me any harm when I was little, it actually made me never misbehave again. Kids get away with too much these days.”

Generally, arguments for light smacks are made on the basis that mum knows best, it’s a deterrent for more serious disobedience and biting, and that it never did the parent any harm.

Those against smacking think it’s an out-dated practice, which is now banned in many other countries.

It’s a notoriously controversial subject. Peter Andre, who in the past has said he ‘didn’t see anything wrong with a smack’, is now supporting an anti-smacking campaign.

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