--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is nothing more pathetically sad…" description: "\"“There is nothing more pathetically sad than a parent who teaches a child not to hit by spanking them. Well, that, and adults who think hitting someone..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/anitra-lynn-mcleod-219645_children_there-is-nothing-more-pathetically-sad-t_128658.jpg" --- # There is nothing more pathetically sad than a parent who… ![“There is nothing more pathetically sad than a parent who teaches a child not to hit by spanking them. Well, that, and adults who think hitting someone will solve a problem.” quote by Anitra Lynn McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/anitra-lynn-mcleod-219645_children_there-is-nothing-more-pathetically-sad-t_128658.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/anitra-lynn-mcleod-219645_children_there-is-nothing-more-pathetically-sad-t_128658.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/anitra-lynn-mcleod-219645_children_there-is-nothing-more-pathetically-sad-t_128658.jpg) > ““There is nothing more pathetically sad than a parent who teaches a child not to hit by spanking them. Well, that, and adults who think hitting someone will solve a problem.”” [Anitra Lynn McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anitra-lynn-mcleod/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teaching children not to hit by spanking contradicts the lesson, and believing violence solves problems is equally misguided. **In simple terms:** Spanking sends mixed messages and normalizes violence. Key Takeaway Avoid physical punishment; teach non‑violent conflict resolution. Themes parenting violence discipline communication child development Mood concerned reflective Type advice reflective When to use this quote - home schooling - family counseling - parent‑child discussions - conflict resolution workshops Key Concepts behavioral modeling non‑violent communication parental authority Questions to Reflect On - How can parents model respectful conflict resolution? - What alternatives to spanking are most effective? A Different Perspective Physical punishment can still be psychologically damaging despite good intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Hit Spanking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hit-spanking-1480512/) [Parent Teaches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent-teaches-1480513/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Raising children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raising-children/) [Sad Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad-parent-1480511/) [Spanking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spanking/) [Spanking Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spanking-adults-1480510/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [No parent teaches bad behavior to their children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/no-parent-teaches-bad-behavior-to-their-children/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [“could like choking or spanking or domination. God, I hope he likes that shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-huss/could-like-choking-or-spanking-or-domination-god-i-hope-he-likes-that/) [J.A. Huss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-huss/) > [Real morality is not the product of fearing a spanking. But what does fundamentalist hell-belief encourage? It retards any developing moral judgment by freezing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/real-morality-is-not-the-product-of-fearing-a-spanking-but-what-does/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [Dad himself used to tell a story about one time when Mother went off to fill a lecture engagement and left him in charge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-gilbreth-jr/dad-himself-used-to-tell-a-story-about-one-time-when-mother-went-off/) [Frank B. Gilbreth Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-gilbreth-jr/) > [“Turn around.” Only two words, but they deliver such a sensual threat. I do as you ask without question. You are right behind me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-brandon/turn-around-only-two-words-but-they-deliver-such-a-sensual-threat-i/) [Felicity Brandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-brandon/) > [“Now I really feel sorry for her. Your hand is as bad as Rob’s paddle,” Cassie shuddered. “Thank you.” “I didn’t mean it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breanna-hayse/now-i-really-feel-sorry-for-her-your-hand-is-as-bad-as-rob-s-paddle/) [Breanna Hayse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breanna-hayse/) > [“A spanking with a tree branch, now that’s slapstick.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-spanking-with-a-tree-branch-now-that-s-slapstick/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“When his hand came down across my bottom the first time I thought I was going to die. But the pain passed, transmuted as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-thurlow/when-his-hand-came-down-across-my-bottom-the-first-time-i-thought-i/) [Chloe Thurlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-thurlow/) > [“For me, the badlands are entirely too naughty. The whole time I was in South Dakota I felt like I needed a spanking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/for-me-the-badlands-are-entirely-too-naughty-the-whole-time-i-was-in/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“You raise one eyebrow and regard me with another intense stare. “Start by stripping please Jenna.” I hear what you say and yet on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-brandon/you-raise-one-eyebrow-and-regard-me-with-another-intense-stare-start/) [Felicity Brandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-brandon/) > [“If there is a God, he must be taking revenge on me for the things I've done. I'll live in a perpetual hell with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-warner/if-there-is-a-god-he-must-be-taking-revenge-on-me-for-the-things-i-ve/) [Edith Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-warner/) > [“You land a second strike, this time just on my left cheek. It feels hard already and stings like hell. I imagine the red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-brandon/you-land-a-second-strike-this-time-just-on-my-left-cheek-it-feels/) [Felicity Brandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-brandon/) > [“Pet, so far we've been playing at this. I'm going to take you a bit further. A play spanking can be erotic but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catt-ford/pet-so-far-we-ve-been-playing-at-this-i-m-going-to-take-you-a-bit/) [Catt Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catt-ford/) > [Instead of yelling and spanking, which dont work anyway, I believe in finding creative ways to keep their attention - turning things into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-richardson/instead-of-yelling-and-spanking-which-dont-work-anyway-i-believe-in/) [Patricia Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-richardson/) > [Spare the rod and spoil the child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-child/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There is nothing more pathetically sad than a parent who teaches a child not to hit by spanking them. Well, that, and adults who think hitting someone will solve a problem.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anitra Lynn McLeod" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anitra-lynn-mcleod/there-is-nothing-more-pathetically-sad-than-a-parent-who-teaches-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anitra-lynn-mcleod/there-is-nothing-more-pathetically-sad-than-a-parent-who-teaches-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/anitra-lynn-mcleod-219645_children_there-is-nothing-more-pathetically-sad-t_128658.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/anitra-lynn-mcleod-219645_children_there-is-nothing-more-pathetically-sad-t_128658.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/anitra-lynn-mcleod-219645_children_there-is-nothing-more-pathetically-sad-t_128658.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is nothing more pathetically sad than a parent who teaches a child not to hit by spanking them. Well…” — Anitra Lynn McLeod", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anitra Lynn McLeod", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anitra-lynn-mcleod/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There is nothing more pathetically sad...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anitra-lynn-mcleod/there-is-nothing-more-pathetically-sad-than-a-parent-who-teaches-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anitra-lynn-mcleod/there-is-nothing-more-pathetically-sad-than-a-parent-who-teaches-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```