To the editor:

How very sad that the place we send our children to learn, where they can learn not only facts but also how people deal with problems, is now elaborating on how to hit children!

Up to the age of 18, leaving bruises, open hand. How decisive and precise. What we need is not to get more precise about hitting children, but rather three very succinct bills:

1. Never hit a child.

2. Anger management for anyone to whom we entrust the care of our children.

3. How to deal with problems which do arise.

When I was teaching, some children came over to me and asked what I would do if a child did something awful. Before I could answer, another child jumped in, “She’d talk and she’d talk and she’d talk!”

For starters, ask the child why they did whatever it was. Ask them how they think they can fix, or maybe prevent, whatever it was that happened. Ask them perhaps to think of another way they could have handled the situation.

This responds to the problem situation in an educational way, not only for the particular child, but for the other children as well.

Or, we can just slug the kid and teach the class that that is how mature people deal with problems.