Kids are like dogs, they need more discipline: Pauline Hanson slams PC parenting

Pauline Hanson is never one to shy away when it comes to voicing her opinion and the controversial senator has now compared raising children to looking after dogs in a fiery rant on Monday’s Today show, revealing she used to give her kids a “clip over the ear” if they misbehaved. The One Nation leader’s comments came after host Georgie Gardner brought up the new UK reality TV show called Train Your Baby Like A Dog, which advises parents to use similar techniques with their kids as they would a dog.

During the segment, which also featured 3AW’s Neil Mitchell, the Queensland-based politician spoke of her own previous parental tactics, revealing: “I tell you what, I gave them a clip over the ear if they didn’t do what they were told, I didn’t have them running rampant through the shopping centres.”

She then said children “are like dogs”, adding: “The concept of treating your kids like dogs is wrong, it’s a concept, but kids are like dogs, if you actually look after them, treat them well, give them that love and care and attention. The problem today is parents aren’t allowed to discipline their kids. We are losing respect, they lose respect for authorities.”

Hanson’s comments were met with shock from Mitchell who chimed in, saying: “You can’t hit dogs, let alone children.” However, earlier in the segment the Australian presenter revealed he used to have his kids on “a little leash” to stop them from scampering off.

Meanwhile, the comments both amused and shocked Gardner, who could be seen laughing in between scenes: “Pauline, I loathe to interrupt because I’m scared I’m going to get in trouble but time is really against us. It’s been enlightening and everyone is awake across the country right now and terrified of you both.”

“Kids are like dogs, if you actually look after them, treat them well, give them that love and care and attention. The problem today is parents aren’t allowed to discipline their kids. We are losing respect, they lose respect for authorities.” @PaulineHansonOz #9Today pic.twitter.com/DboCmqm5OP

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) August 18, 2019

Viewers seemed to agree with Hanson, with one person saying: “We all grew up under the shadow of ‘jutti’ (slipper) & we all are able to handle twists & turns of life.”

However, others found Hanson’s comment “sickening and pathetic”, with one viewer writing on social media: “As a parent this has to be the most obnoxious, ignorant and hateful thing to say about kids.”

When it comes to parenting, there’s no denying that things have changed since we were younger. In many cases, this means that the kids and teenagers of today are getting away with a lot more than they probably should. It feels like we can’t go a day without seeing teenagers wreaking havoc at local shopping centres or young children throwing tantrums because they’re not getting their own way.

A 2017 study found that three in five grandparents believe that today’s parenting styles are worse than when they were raising their own children. In fact, The Australian Seniors Series: Raising Modern Australia survey detailed some very interesting results.

More than half of the 1,000 grandparents surveyed believe that their grandkids are going to be less capable, self-sufficient, and resilient adults than their parents. Furthermore, they don’t think today’s kids are going to be as moral as the ones they raised.

Many say that today’s parents focus too much on rewarding their children, rather than punishing them when they do wrong. It found that an incredible 86 per cent of grandparents think parents spoil their kids too much, 79 per cent believe they are too protective, and 76 per cent don’t believe that today’s parents are as strict as they should be.

The survey also found many grandparents believe that parents should go back to smacking their children when they’ve done something wrong. Interestingly, in Australia, corporal punishment by a parent or carer is lawful and is not considered child abuse provided that it is “reasonable”, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies.