A Texas school announced that it will bring back paddling for children that misbehave. The Three Rivers Independent School District in Texas recognizes that not all parents might want their children to be paddled. The district gives parents the ability to opt in.
Parents need to provide written and verbal consent for paddling. The teacher’s association will remove a child from the list if a parent ever becomes uncomfortable with it.
Do you think bringing back paddling might be the answer for misbehaving children? If not, what do you think a solution could be? Let’s talk about it..

Bryan Ramirez: “Love this.”

Malena Cardenas Matthew Shock: “Omg! I got paddled at Hobby middle school in 6th grade for chewing gum and blowing a bubble at my teacher. It was either that or get after school detention and that would mean my mom would find out. I chose the paddle.”

Lisa RN: “Yeah. Good idea. Parents these days on the whole don’t do a consistent good job at disciplining their kids. They wanna be their friend instead of their parents. If you don’t want someone paddling your kid at school,then CONSISTENTLY discipline your child at home! Don’t get defensive when they need to do your job.”

Irene V. Zertuche: “I got the paddle once!”

Jerri Barker Love: “I saw the dark side of this; it’s easy to pick on certain kids from certain backgrounds and it’s easy to get on their butts instead of in their heads and do the real work of helping and guiding them versus punishing them and only teaching them to lie and sneak. So, nope – we know better and we can do better.”

Engie Pagán: “Back in the day, teachers back home in Puerto Rico used the ruler to smack the hands of the unruly student. It worked. I can’t even imagine being a teacher during these times. Kids nowadays are very unruly, disrespectful, rude and violent.”

Letty Garcia Tijerina: “Only males got the paddle at my school.”

LeAnn M Dinsdale: “Bring back parenting.”

Julie Vowell-Ramirez: “This is ridiculous. Schools don’t have the right to lay hands on my child. Discipline in other ways, but beating a child into submission is not the answer.”

Barbara Ann: “Some people call it discipline, some call it abuse. You know everyone has their opinion, and if their thoughts and opinions don’t align with yours, oh my goodness! I personally don’t agree with anyone else spanking my child, I think it should be handled at home. And I do believe in spanking. There’s nothing but love in that spanking too. And you know, discipline is much easier learned as a child. Don’t discipline them, and we may suffer the consequences along with them.”

Samantha Sanchez: “No teacher is gonna hit my child or take their frustration out on my kid. Teachers nowadays ain’t like the old teachers. That’s the parents job to spank not the schools or teachers. Many adults got paddled and spanked and still came out messed up.”

Deborah Espurvoa Zertuche: “On the consent form, I would check off ‘no’ and write in ‘call me.’ I told the boys that I didn’t want seconds;I wanted to spank them myself. I also told them I would go to the school, spank them, then send them back to class. They were super well-behaved.”

Aleaxandria TL: “Plllluuueeezzze bring it back!!!”

Leon Gaytan: “Some kids are good,all they just need is the “rock’s eyebrow” while some well…they need the ‘people’s elbow.’ I know some adults need a “stone cold stunner’.”

Guadalupe Osteguin Gallegos; “I got the paddle as a 7th grader for fighting at Irving. They had my mom choose detention over 3 licks and she said, ‘oh ,since she wants to feel pain by getting hit, just go ahead and give her the 3 licks.’ Then, I got it at home x2 by her right after school. Then, by my father when he got home from work. Never ever did I fight at school again!”


Fernando Tafoya: “I remember fellow students in my Texas elementary school being paddled for things some other kid did. There was no way to defend yourself bc that led to more paddling because one is talking back. I never saw it deter anything. Kids are kids and act crazy at times.”

Mary Svetlik Watkins: “Holding kids accountable for their actions and disciplining them needs to be brought back. Detention for bad behavior and for not turning in work needs to return. Stop being afraid of our kids.”

Marissa Mireles Perez: “I signed the letter authorizing the school administrator to paddle my daughter a few years ago. Of course this was a private organization and when she saw me agree to this, her face was priceless and knew where I was coming from. I’d do it again too!”

Marisol Medellin: “Maybe the Ten Commandments need to be put back in the schools.”

Sandra Luna Perez: “I did in-school suspension at a high school for 18 years and three at a middle school. I was very strict and even took a couple of kids in. I would literally get kids to ask me if I could adopt them. I would ask them why they want to go live with me. I would tell them I have rules at my house. For example, in your room by 10ish, a list of chores, no phones while at the dinner table and yes, we all eat together at the table not in the bedrooms. No, you cannot go out with your friends without me knowing the parents very well. They would reply, ‘that means you care.’ They would tell me ‘my parents don’t care. They just give me money and tell me to stay out of trouble. They don’t even care if I stay at a friend’s house as long as I don’t get in trouble.’ That was their main concern. I would always tell parents discipline starts when they are born. Just like a little tree. If it starts to grow crooked, what do you do? You put down a stake and straighten it out because if you let it grow crooked and then want to fix it, it will be too late. It’s hard being a parent and you’re NEVER done being a parent. I believe what you instill into your kids will reflect on you as a parent. Maybe not always but a BIG percent.”

Carolina Roberts: “Absolutely, I got paddled ONCE, I was very disciplined by my parents. It was called RESPECT and do as your parents say. Nowadays, you can’t discipline, because they call it abuse. They don’t know the difference between discipline and abuse.”

Sandra Aldaco: “Parents need to be parents! It starts at home!”