Daily Beating

Pre-beating: Anxious

Does anyone else out there have kids who beg and plead for a beating? Both of my kids actually say the words, "Give me a beating!" They even negotiate for beatings: "If I get my homework done before dinner can I have a beating?" Sure!

Can it really be called abuse when they literally ask for it and are delighted when they get what they want? Who knew abuse was so subjective? In my own defense, I don't actually punch or kick. It's only open-handed slaps. (kidding! more of a wrestle-tickle roughhousing. [I would hate it if someone did it to me]) Today after school I had to beat Kira because she cleaned her room and made her bed. Then Sam saw that she was getting a beating, so he wanted one so I had to beat him too. Just because he's a good kid. I worked all day, I was tired! I just wanted to sit on the couch and look at Facebook for a while! But being a mom is hard work and you have to always remember that the child comes FIRST, and apparently a beaten child is a happy child.

But seriously, what does this mean for their future? Sam likes the daily beating, but Kira absolutely lives for it. She likes a pain challenge. She says, "Give me an snake bite!" (Indian burn, for those of you who grew up before racism was so out of style) So I give her the snake bite. Then she wants it harder. I end up curious to see how hard I can do it without her complaining about the pain. (FYI, it's hard enough where I'm concerned about ripping her tender little skin, and I get a little nauseous.) We've never reached her pain threshold. Thank goodness we're not into corporal punishment because it would be absolutely useless on her.

So I wonder where this love for pain will get her? Will she be a spy who can be captured and tortured and still not talk? Professional football player? Boxer? Madam at Ye Olde S&M shoppe? Social worker? Nah, not social worker. She can take physical pain with the best of them, but she can't take sadness. She watched the movie Skip about a boy and a dog and (spoiler alert!) the dog dies at the end after a happy and fulfilling and adventurous life. We were up for days talking about how sad it was that the dog died. She couldn't sleep thinking about it. So placing foster children would probably do her in. Sadness is her kryptonite. I'll stick with the loving, motherly snake bites.

Post-beating: Happy and content