Children who resist their spankings can give parents who want to spank with love, not with force, a hard time. The following are suggestions that may help in these cases, contributed in 2001 by a reader of this site:

1. "Prevention is the best method - that is bring children up from an early age to accept spankings as an integral part of life in a loving home.
2. If a spanking is resisted, always give a second spanking some time later for the resistance. Of course this still leaves the problem of overcoming the resistance for the first spanking but once you have done that then give the second spanking to deter future resistance.
3. This is a device used with great success by my husband to persuade his nephew to accept spankings from his mother: he told him that in order to earn the right to spank his own children when he had grown up he had to accept spankings now. My husband thinks this is such a brilliant idea that he wondered how he could patent it!
4. Use verbal persuasion pointing out why the spanking is necessary and how it will clear things up and will be a way for the child to "pay" for his or her naughtiness. If that coupled with threats of a second spanking does not succeed, then the family should all make it clear that they disapprove and that the child will be treated coolly until it submits. You will find that siblings will cooperate in this process as they do not like to see any one getting away with not getting a spanking which is due to them. This system always eventually succeeds although it can be wearing at the time. It is important that after submission and the administration of the the second spanking everyone in the family makes a special point of showing affection to the child and welcoming him or her back to the family."

Added June, 2005: This is another reader's contribution on uncooperative children: "Do not spank your child until you are in complete control of yourself and the enviroment. For example, if your child tries to run away from a spanking, don't chase them as they may injure themselves trying to get away from you. Further make sure you are able to speak to the child in a calm and rational voice to ensure you have their cooperation prior to punishment. If the child is hysterical, wait until they are calm before you start your discussion. A safe place is usually a bedroom where there is little in the way of furniture etc. that may cause injury to the child if they become physically out of control. An unsafe place is the car where there is little room to move around and there may be objects that may injure the child, such as the steering wheel." For more similar recommendations, see the chapter Avoiding common mistakes.

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