On smacking.

Willow had her friend, Tabi, over and Tabi was throwing a massive, out of character tantrum because she didn't want to tidy up and go home. (Been there? Excellent.) Nothing was really working to stop the tantrum, so Willow walked over and gave Tabi a smack.

Which was kinda funny but also really horrible.

So yeah. The thing I've learnt about smacking Willow is this: It doesn't really work long term. Sure, it's a handy threat, but how Willow interacts with her friends, adults and toys is shaped by how we interact with her.

I haven't smacked Willow in ages, but I did the day before she smacked Tabi. Starting at midday, she began whinging- I don't want to hold your hand! I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND. I DON'T WANT TO WALK NEXT TO ANYBODY. I WANT TO GO PLAYGROUND. RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO GO JUMPING CASTLE. I DON'T WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAAAAAND!!!! I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND!!!!
Then at the playground she fell over and scraped her knee, and whinged dramatically that she was bleeding (she wasn't) and she was in so much pain I NEED AN ICY POLE MUMMY THE PAIN THE PAIN OOOOH IT HURTS SO BAD.
So I kept my cool, until around 6pm where I reminded her to clean her room about six times, and she didn't, and then she told me a blatant lie or she was a smart arse or something, and she got a smack.

Did it work? I don't know. She cried and did what I asked her to do, which is a bit of a win, but then she turned around and smacked her friend when he friend was naughty, and that's a total lose.