Spare the rod

Posted by Shae on May 14, 2004

In Reply to: Spare the rod posted by ESC on May 14, 2004

: : Hi, I would like to kindly request from you the meaning of the phrase 'spare the rod,spoil the child'.
: : Thank you for your cooperation.

: Solomon (Prov. xiii. 24) says: "He that spareth the rod hateth his son;" but Samuel Butler, in his Hudibras (pt. ii. canto 1, line 843), says: 1
: "Love is a boy, by poets styled,
: Then spare the rod, and spoil the child."

: From Bartleby.com

: My interpretation is that a good parent who loves his child pays attention and guides the child's behavior in the right direction. A good shepherd uses a rod to direct his sheep to the right path.
:

Before it became illegal in many places, corporal punishment was inflicted by parents and teachers on children who misbehaved. The punishment usually consisted of slapping the child on the hands or legs with a cane or rod. The belief was that children who were not disciplined in this manner would become spoiled brats.

• Spare the rod, save Social Services resources - short term! Lewis 14/May/04
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