Man, you guys make me want to go over and hug my mom today, which I am going to do............
I do think however that this is being overblown. Better ways to deal with a 4-year old than switching him, but different people have different ideas on discipline. Not like he punched him and caused bodily harm.
My mom whopped me once as a kid with a belt and it sure as hell made an impression on me since she hadn't done it before. I think it really did hurt her more than me, but well done.
I never had to spank my kids and they were always well behaved and respectful. I made it a point early in their lives that disrepecting adults was not an option for them and acting up in public was not an option for them. The occasional hard swat on the butt or stinging slap on the wrist was impactfull enough to get their attention and get them back on track when they acted up in public.
Anyway, much ado about nothing but being overblown due to the Ray Rice situation.