RE: Impossible to control them by fear

No — bringing back physical punishment would not fix arrogance or bad behavior. It usually creates fear in the short term, but not character, self-control, or respect in the long term. Your core point is solid: society changed, children changed, and old methods do not automatically become wise just because they were common.

The image works well with that idea too. It shows three children on a cliff edge in a dramatic, high-risk setting — one serious, one playful, one pointing ahead. It feels like a metaphor for modern childhood: freedom, attitude, risk, and guidance all mixed together. That part is clever.

What usually changed is not just punishment. Families are busier, screens are louder, patience is shorter, and many children grow up with less consistent boundaries. That creates rude behavior far more often than the absence of hitting does. Physical punishment may force silence, but silence is not the same thing as learning.

A better approach is the harder one: clear rules, consistent consequences, emotional control from adults, and real involvement. A child who understands limits and sees fairness every day usually grows better than a child who is simply scared of being beaten. Fear can control behavior in the moment; it does a lousy job of building judgment.

There’s also community context around this broader parenting angle in posts like @cindynancy’s article on child protection and care, which leans toward protection over harshness. Different topic, same underlying truth: children need structure, but structure is not violence.

So my take is simple: discipline is necessary, physical punishment is not. The real fix is not harsher hands — it’s better parenting, better teaching, and adults who stop confusing control with education.