When did this country suddenly turn into Blame Nation? First David Letterman, now Kate Gosselin is under fire for… apparently spanking one of her kids? Sheesh. The poor woman, stalked by paparazzi, was caught disciplining daughter Leah (not shown in the picture here). Some creepy shutterbug snapped some pictures and got them into In Touch magazine, casting the story as though Kate was guilty of attempted homicide. (I mean, with a name like In Touch, you’d think they’d be into spanking.) Anyway, the pix are all over the Internet.
Sure, I looked at the photos online, I’m not ashamed to say. One likes to compare parenting styles. I can’t remember swatting my kids as Kate is shown doing, but I sure as heck remember being spanked as a child, and I don’t feel particularly damaged by it.
Every parent loses his or her temper occasionally. Some parents have different philosophies about how to enforce the rules. I doubt this scene will show up any time soon on Jon & Kate Plus 8. (Though with its ratings dropping, who knows?)
I guess my question isn’t, Do you think Kate should have spanked her child? It’s more this: Don’t you think pictures of a parent caught in a moment for which we don’t know the context seem mean, even if you’ve decided you don’t care for Kate? I come down on the side of giving her the benefit of the doubt, and a break. How about you?
Comments (1-30) of 239 Add your comment
THIS is what it takes for them to focus on the kid’s well-being? A spanking that’s relatively normal in most households. Sad…
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/06/17/the-cw-sets-premiere-dates-for-their-shows/
i agree…give her a break. if you dont like her, dont watch the show just so you’ll have something to argue about.
There’s a big difference between a literal spank and a little tap on the butt. When I was younger, I often got a little tap on my rear end when I was getting out of line, so if this is the case with Kate, then I don’t see any problem. If she was wailing away on Leah, then there’s the issue.
“Did we need to see the pictures?” Hell yes! Ken, your faux outrage over anything unpleasant on Jon and Kate is laughable. I would watch the show every week if I was guaranteed to see these two go through a divorce or get in trouble for spanking their kids. We’ve had 100 episodes of Jon and Kate killing time in various free vacations, the show is finally interesting!
It is not the spanking that is the problem, it is her diva-ish damn-the-kids-I-want-to-be-on-TV attitude. She is guilty of spousal abuse and I hope Jon finds happiness away from her. The show is so fake now,and she makes it utterly unwatcheable. There will be a price to pay someday for her greed and ego, her mean-spiritedness will be her downfall.
I don’t care for Kate, but of course spanking your own child is not a big deal.
However, when you’re someone who’s willingly put yourself in the intense limelight, you HAVE to be smarter doing stuff like spanking (even lightly) your kids anywhere where a camera might catch you.
Well, I am not a parent, so no doubt I will be blasted by those who are, but I do have two sincere questions to pose to those who condone spanking: How does one define the line between spanking and assault? Why is violence towards children acceptable?
Give the woman a break for crying out loud. We were spanked all the time, but I seem to be ok (though others may differ). It looks like Leah is screaming, but anyone who’s been around a little kid knows the tendency to over-dramatize things. Kate isn’t doing anything parents all over the country don’t do. Besides with her whole life in the public eye and 8 kids to raise, I’m not surprised she snapped. Cut the woman some slack.
Leave the poor woman alone. Thanks for posting this article. I’m not sure that Kate is in the right or wrong but who are we to decide that. I don’t see pictures of everybody’s elses parenting techniques. Obviously she is doing something right if she can have overall 8 well-behaved children.
Yeah, these photos don’t show or prove anything about her parenting skills. Besides, we can’t even tell if there’s shattered glass glued to her open palm or not.
If more kids got a spanking when they misbehaved there might be fewer brats growing up to be Spencer and Heidi.
spanking is not the same as discipline.
She’s out of control.
Spanking a child happens when a parent loses control. Why is it ok to spank a child when he misbehaves, but against the law to do the same to an adult?
Your polls results would have been much more interesting if there were only Yes and No answers. The 3rd response is the same as “Yes”, but it’s easier to choose because you aren’t admitting to anything.
Way to be…
She was angry. See her grip the little girl’s dress? Spanking can be ok, but not when you are that angry.
Why not hang up the phone and remove the whistle?
Can’t stand her. Having said that, I have spanked too – but never when I am that angry. She is totally grabbing the child by the dress.
Most or many of us have spanked at some point. I have and I got that it was about my anger not the kids behavior. I do not spank any more.
When did this country suddenly turn into Blame Nation? When the 36th President was elected his name is Lyndon B. Johnson.
This is just wrong. Remove the whistle! But you’d have to get off the phone to do that!
I think that every child needs a good spanking now and then and spanking is completly different then abuse. Some people don’t seem to understand that.
Spanking is never OK. I don’t care about different “parenting styles” – violence is violence. What people excuse when done to children they would be prosecuted for doing to an adult. I can’t watch the show, they are such poor parents.
While i do not think Kate was being abusive and in fact the spanking seemed somewhat mild what bothers me is the reason she spanked her child. I think that physically reprimanding a child should be saved for very very extreme circumstances where the child continues to make the same mistake repeatedly (the only thing i ever learned from being physically disciplined was to be afraid of my father).
According to reports kate spanked leah because she was being loud (WHILE OUTSIDE) when her mom was on the phone. seriously? that deserves a spanking??
she is just so obnoxious with her control freak ways and inability to even appreciate all the free stuff and opportunity she gets chosing instead to always be negative. I’m glad ratings are down i hope this show is canceled ASAP.
this is the dumbest thing ever.children need to be spanked sometimes, i was not spanked often as a child as i did not need it…my brothers on the other hand got spanked alot. it is a form of discipline–and by the way one swat is not a “spanking”. we used to call it getting “popped” when i was younger. lol lay off kate she did what she thought was needed.
Kate needs help. This is out of control.
If she had treated the dogs like this, the SPCA would already be out there.
This psycho-Mom is out of control. Look at the grip on little Leah’s arm! Take the whistle away, but she needs to put down the phone first.
Karen Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 03:33 PM EST
Spanking is never OK. I don’t care about different “parenting styles” – violence is violence.
GREAT COMMENT
Simone Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 03:37 PM EST
Kate needs help. This is out of control.
AGREED
What is wrong with everyone. For the last god knows how many years this country has been getting off on watching these reality shows. I think we all need to get a life of our own.
Heck yeah…beat them kids! OK, just kidding, but seriously, leave parenting up to the parent, not the rest of us looky loos