General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I know I'm whining, but I wish corporal punishment had been criminalized a few decades earlier. [View all]moriah
(8,312 posts)I think that if a doctor has ordered a specific diet for a child, that failing to follow that diet is medical neglect and yes should be criminal.
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The thing is, many people vary widely on what they call "parenting styles". You have everything from attachment parenting where you don't even dream of slapping a toddler's hand away from something, because it stunts their brain's growth (proven fact). Then you have Michael Pearl and the "To Train Up A Child" crowd, that advocate horrific abuse as a valid, and even necessary, "parenting style".
So yes, I think the government has a duty to intervene when a person's "parenting style" crosses certain lines. The issue is defining where those lines are.
Like they say about torture.... "Besides being wrong, spanking doesn't work."