I tried absolutely everything with my kids without spanking. Nothing would stop my older daughter's tantrums. I didn't spank out of anger, but in the end, it was THE only thing that stopped the tantrum. I think it's great you never had to. Reasoning doesn't always work when a child is in a full-blown situation. I actually feel worse about the times I yelled. Actually, that's when I did switch to a quick hit to the bum, when I realized I was yelling and that was no better. It is always preferable to not spank, IMO. However, your children are not necessarily everybody's experience. BTW, I was spanked a few times as a child and I'm not traumatized. (There is a big difference between spanking and beating.)