Sam's in trouble...

Sam had a note sent home from school yesterday saying that he had never been so disruptive. He could not keep his bottom in his seat, when he was in his seat he could not keep his head up. He blurted out all day and he had to have silent lunch. So, I took TV away from him last night. He came straight home, did homework, ate supper, took a bath, had a nice, long, stern talking-to from his dad and I, then he went to bed at 7pm. Today he apparently had a good day at school but then he was a complete pain after he got home. I took him to get a haircut. He couldn't sit still while I was getting my hair cut. He kept jumping around in the beauty shop. The I took him to mom and dad's to get supper and then took him straight to basketball practice. That's where all hell broke loose... He was AWFUL! He wouldn't keep his hands off the other boys. I watched him pretend to fart on a little girl's head. He kept doing this fake-falling-down thing that he does. He was doing everything except playing basketball. He was so disrespectful to his coach. He wanted to wrestle with his buddies, kept coming up behind them and getting them in a headlock, etc. I pulled him off the court twice and warned him about his behavior. By the time we left he had stretched his shirt so much that it looked like his daddy could have worn it. He had nearly chewed holes in his sleeves...I mean it was ruined. So when it was all over I took him to the car and I let it roll. I made him take his shirt off and I told him that if he couldn't wear his clothes appropriately that he could just not wear clothes. I don't think I have ever let him have it like I did. I was so mad I had to pull the car over. When we got home, I made him go to his room and I spanked him with the belt. I have only done that a couple of other times, but I am so worried that he is turning into a super spoiled brat. I see too many of those on a daily basis and I swear to you all they need is a good spanking and they need to have some healthy fear for their parents. I want Sam to know that when I say something I mean it. I really think he knew he had pushed me as far as he could push me. I told him that I was tired of being pleasant to him when he was so disobedient and disrespectful and that I intended to start spanking him whenever he decided to be that way. I hate to spank him, really I do, but I keep reminding myself of the kids I see every single day who have not been spanked enough in their lives and what it has done to them. It has made them too big for their britches, it has made them have absolutely no respect for authority. I dropped a kid's level at school today just because he told me I wouldn't do it. He jokingly said he didn't care if I dropped his level, it didn't mean anything to him anyway. So, I am going to drop his level or die. I never would have talked to my teachers that way. When he realized that I really was going to drop his level, he begged me not to and he told me he hadn't done anything. I started listed example after example of times he had been disrespectful to me, and times when he had been insubordinate. I ask him repeatedly every day to get out of the hallway after the first bell rings and he goes back out there every day. That's blatant insubordination. So guess what? He's getting his level dropped and its his own doggone fault. My point being that I am tired of kids (including my own) thinking that the rules don't apply to them and that they don't have to listen when they are told to do something. I can see that I am feeding this monster by standing aside and doing nothing. At school, I plan to take action by doing what I can (dropping levels and calling parents) and at home I am going to start spanking, because I know that it worked for me. Just the fear that I would get a spanking was enough. And I don't even think I had that many spankings...just enough to show me that mom & dad meant business and that they WOULD do it if they had to. So, as much as it really hurts, I feel like I am doing more of a disservice to my kids by not spanking them. Have I defended myself enough? Somebody back me up here.