Spare the Rod and Spoil Your Child
In the same interview, the McCaugheys sparked a bit of controversy by telling the world they weren’t ones to shy away from spanking their children. In the words of Kenny, “[the Bible makes it] pretty clear: ‘spare the rod and spoil your child.’ Moreover, I know that it’s not a very popular thing. I know many people have said; you know that severe spanking is, you know, abuse and stuff like that, well we don’t do that.”
THE MOTHER OF THE MCCAUGHEY SEPTUPLETS (Photo by Ambassador/Sygma/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
The couple also stated they weren’t fans of hitting their kids, but that they would do a type of “controlled” spanking. “Maybe like two or three swats is all,” said Kenny. “Because for me, I was spanked as a kid. For me that was the best way — one of the best ways to learn was through consequences of wrongdoing.” The couple believed that their children would someday appreciate the methods their parents used to teach them right from wrong.