Britain’s Best Parent viewers criticise smacking mother’s ‘lazy’ tactics

Two mothers exchanged heated words during the final of Britain’s Best Parent this evening over whether children should be smacked – with viewers labelling it a ‘lazy’ tool.

Strict parents Nicky and David, from London, returned to the Channel 4 programme tonight along with three other couples – homeschoolers Becky and Ben, nature-lovers Jen and Tom, and eastern-influenced Rin and Robin – to see who would win the parenting competition.

But the show soon turned tense when Becky took issue with Nicky and David smacking their three children and likened it to an abusive relationship.

Viewers watching at home also took to Twitter to question the parents’ strict style, suggesting it was a ‘lazy’ tactic to hit their children.

Asked about when she would hit her children, Nicky said she would resort to smacking if her child had done something dangerous – rather than resulting to the punishment out of anger. 

‘It’s always done in a controlled manner,’ she added before her husband David explained: ‘It will be a case of telling them why they’ve been smacked.

‘A conversation will occur after they’ve been smacked, making sure they understand why they were smacked, they will be told that we love them and they’ll get a nice hug. So they’ll feel good afterwards.’

However, Becky, who said she and her husband Ben would never hit their children was quick to respond.

She said: ‘That’s actually gaslit me a bit because as an adult, if you’re in a relationship with someone that loves you and you do something that that person doesn’t like and then they hit you. 

‘But then afterwards they say, “The reason I hit you was because I didn’t like your behaviour but now I love you and hug you again.”‘

Nicky was outraged by the comparison to an abusive relationship and said she was offended by the comments, which Becky later apologized for, adding she ‘hadn’t meant to accuse her of anything’. 

‘You’re twisting what we’re saying,’ Nicky replied. ‘You’re taking it way out of context. Everything we do is dependent on age. I will never smack my 12-year-old daughter.

‘I will smack the younger one – a smack on the hand, a smack on the leg. I don’t appreciate that you’ve twisted it.’ 

But despite David and Nicky’s justifications, some Twitter users criticised the couple’s parenting approach.

One person wrote: ‘I hate the excuses. You smack because you want them to fear you. Because you want to hurt them. Because it’s easier than communicating. It’s a quick, lazy fix. Own it.’

Another said: ‘Will never ever believe abuse is acceptable. Everything else so far interesting debate.’

A third added: ‘These parents that  smack also punish their child to hurt them… shocker.’

Meanwhile other viewers agreed with the parenting style, with one commenting: ‘I wholeheartedly hope David and Nicky win because they had the best parenting style that fits into the ideal world. 

‘Her words have been twisted making her seem like a child beating parent.

‘They’re raising their children NOT to be entitled like this generation.’