my nine year old son said he wants to kill himself

my son is the oldest of five boys,he got in a spanking from me and acted like he was getting beat,then he said to me i hate my life here i want to jump out a window and kill myself  and he just kept yelling it i want to kill myself repeatedly like five times. what should i do?

[margypops]

Maybe stop spanking him for a start, do the others also get spanked ? what does he do that warrents the punishment, perhaps a better idea would be to ground him from something he enjoys. As the eldest perhaps he has a lot more responsibility in the family , he could maybe use some one to one attention, get his Dad playing sports and games , focus on his positive side , praise him when you see him doing something right ..How is he doing at school, has he friends .To say that to you he sounds upset, more attention and hugs for him ....

[RockRose]

diva,  I agree with Margie.  A 9 year old is too old to be spanked.

One quick pop on the diapered rear is okay for a 2 year old who is totally out of control,  a nine year old is too old to physically punish.  If you got in trouble at work,  or were pulled over by a cop for a traffic violation,  how much would it make you want to behave if you were spanked?  Not much.  

I'm surprised by your profile, and your long list of  interests that are a concern.

I'm not trying to pound you here.  There's a lot more going on here than what you're saying in this short post.

But first,  stop the hitting.  

[yngdad]

I disagree. If he is acting out then he does deserve it. There is a difference between hitting and spanking. That what's wrong with kids today. Kids say that stuff after they get punished to make the parent feel bad. Ignore it, or send him to his room. As long as he's not saying it constantly, I wouldn't worry about it.

[margypops]

May I out of interest in your statement ask what the differance bertween hitting a child and 'spanking' I was always under the impression if you raised your hand and 'hit a child thats what it is spanking is often used by parents to make it seem less,agressive a move , in point of fact you are still inflicting pain which in my opinion is wrong and actually you are telling your child that it is okay to 'spank'  'hit' others, so when they go to school or start hitting friends thats okay is it..its only 'spanking'   this is my opinion ..

[yngdad]

Well, my kids are homeschooled so, I don't have to actually worry about that. But, I don't need to spank my kids anyway. There is a difference, atleast my opinion. Hitting I see more as smacking or slapping other than on the butt. I don't see why spanking on the butt is such a bad thing.