Although the Scottish Government has announced plans to ban corporal punishment of children (smacking), we must preserve the right of parents in the rest of the UK to smack their children when it is reasonable. This is not because we are violent people eager to hit our kids: we recognise that smacking is damaging to children. The point is rather that people resent being legislatively compelled to do what they would have done anyway. It only breeds contempt for the law and since the wellbeing of citizens depends on people respecting the law, we should take steps to prevent it falling into disrepute. We must, therefore, protect the rights of parents in Northern Ireland, Wales and England to smack their children.