<<There comes a time when kids like to hit. I never encouraged it, but I never had a blanket no hitting rule. If the kid wants to fuck around a little, what's the harm? There was one rule: no hitting in the face. Sometimes I'd pick her up at school and as I was walking up she'd tell her friends, "he doesn't mind if you hit him." That was unexpected. >>
When my 7 year old, Arianna gets really frustrated with me, I appease her by letting her hit me as hard and as long as she wants :)
Thomas