Stefan Molyneux, host of Freedomain Radio, responds to a letter from a parent. Freedomain Radio is the largest and most popular philosophy show on the web - http://www.freedomainradio.com

Many, many thanks go to Stefan for helping me to convey the importance of non violent parenting to my husband. While I could talk all day about the benefits and implement them while I dealt with our 7 yr old son, he still had the "well sometimes they just need to be spanked", etc mentality. He never understood why our son would listen and respond well to me when I spoke calmly and rationally, but not when my husband tried. Consistency being the key, a child doesn't trust a sometime rational adult. Since having him watch Stefan's videos, he saw the mirror image of himself in our son's reactions towards his father. And I am SO very grateful that we are completely on the same page now, not only for my husband, but for our son who is the true beneficiary.

This is my husband. Our kids are 4 and 2. I stay at home and have been the main disciplinary parent. I have tried to explain to my husband that yelling and threatening don't work. He just gets annoyed with that way of thinking and has said that "we will try it your way until it stops working. Then I will have to get the belt." to which my response is to be completely resistant. He uses the "I was raised with the belt and I turned out fine!" excuse. I don't point it out to him but he is a very irritable person by nature with a short fuse. I just say that I wasn't and also turned out fine. It's hard for me as a person who tries to constantly learn and move forward to even begin to accept that hitting your child is ever an answer. It is an easy outlet of frustration and not one of intelligent recognition of psychology and behavior. It is passed down from generation to generation and hopefully I will be here again telling you he has begun to see that there are other ways. :)