[stomachmonkey]

Hmmm, you were right AND wrong.

You were right that he should have cleaned it w/o a prompt but certainly there should have been no question after you asked him to.

Your wife should have backed you. But the two of you should have gone somewhere private to discuss it calmly and then presented a united front.

You were wrong to hit him especially across the mouth. If you got to that point then you need to realize that you totally lost control of your son and the situation.

I doubt this is the first time you have disciplined him in this manner, if that approach works then you should not have had an issue in the first place, correct?

I was raised by a southern military guy who would make you go out and get a tree branch so he could hit you with it. Talk about a mind f__k, "boy, go get me something to hit you with"

And Moses is correct, when my brother was 17 he'd had enough of my fathers crap and went after him. That was 24 years ago and they still have a very rocky relationship .

I inherited my fathers temper, difference is that I can recognize when Mr Hyde is about to take over and I don't let it happen.

I spanked my daughter once, then I went into my bedroom and cried. How could I hurt the thing that I love more than anything else in this world. Never ever again no matter how crazy she makes me.

Again Moses is right, she gets out of line and I deny her whatever she happens to care about most. She's addicted to flav-o-ice, you know frozen colored sugar water in a plastic sleeve.

I just quietly go to the freezer, pull a couple out while she is watching and toss em in the trash. You'd be amazed how fast she responds.

Get it under control, you are raising a bully at best, or worse you could be destroying his self esteem. Either way not good.