re: Spanking a kid--where do you stand?

That snap...it has an effect.

A threat is best if you never have to use it. If the dread comes from that look.

I tell you what will happen if you misbehave. If you choose to continue, you leave me no choice. I can renege on my word and you won’t respect it ever again...or I can deliver the consequence YOU chose.

Once you establish the knowledge that continued disobedience will incur the known punishment, you just have to give the look. And they get that “OH shite” look on their faces.

They realize they’ve messed up and get right and you don’t even need to spank.