Barnardo’s, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Royal College of Paediatrics have given their backing to the Children (Equal Protection From Assault) Scotland Bill proposed by Green MSP John Finnie.

The bill would mean parents charged with the assault of a child would no longer be able to claim the defence of "reasonable chastisement" and it would give children the same protection from assault as adults.

The physical punishment of children is an emotive subject and coverage of the proposed bill has attracted fierce debate. Concerns have been raised about whether the bill will criminalise good parents and overwhelm our child protection services. Mr Finnie says that is not the intended or expected outcome of what he proposes.

"Substantial academic research from around the world shows that physical punishment does not work and is shown to be counterproductive. My bill aims to support parents to make positive choices. The bill will not change the way that police and social work deal with assault against children. Rather it establishes the principle that assault can never be 'justifiable'."

Loving parents occasionally smack their children. We can know this to be true while also recognising that smacking is not a desirable or effective method of discipline.

It is important that the reasoning behind the bill is communicated clearly and parents are supported to use alternative techniques – particularly during times of stress.

When I speak to parents who have smacked their children most describe feeling regretful afterwards. They talk of reaching a "breaking point" and a temporary and reactive loss of control.

Much of the commentary of Mr Finnie’s bill has portrayed physical punishments as a deliberate and calm choice a parent makes, nothing more than a gentle "tap" on the hand or bottom.

We know the reality is much different. Anybody who has been hit by a parent, witnessed a child being whacked in the supermarket, or hit their own child know that it is often administered under a cloud of anger.

If we believe that it is unacceptable for adults to harm one another then this must also apply to the most vulnerable of people.

Children are stressful and maddening human beings, much like the rest of us. While they are in our care, they are developing into the adults we will send out into the world.

They can be cheeky. They break things and draw on walls. They refuse to eat their dinner or have a tantrum if their cereal is in the wrong bowl.

I’d argue that we are too quick to label this frustrating behaviour as "bad". Children aren’t robots that we can programme. They will learn coping strategies and appropriate behaviour over time, from the example of people best placed to show them the way.

In my house, hitting is the most serious of all challenging behaviours.

When my daughter was three, she went through a hitting stage. Her speech was delayed, and she was frustrated at having so much to say without the vocabulary to allow it.

While it didn’t last long, it was stressful. Adults are not used to being hit and even when it comes from tiny little hands, it is tough to cope with.

There were times I had to leave the room and take a deep breath to compose myself. I gave the same "Hitting is not kind. We don’t hit each other in this house" speech multiple times.

To hit her back, as "reasonable chastisement" for actions that are so manifestly unacceptable would have been to teach her that violence is an appropriate way to handle conflict.

I am keenly aware that the world I will be sending her into is one where violence against women is rife. Two women per week are killed by their partners or ex-partners. One in four women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. It is worth the deep breaths and repetitive conversations if it means she understands – unequivocally – that if somebody hurts her or threatens her, it is wrong.

When we hit children, we are teaching them a behaviour that will bring negative consequences upon them if they replicate it outside the home.

We are showing them that violence is okay as if somebody has been "bad".

If they mirror our actions in their friendships, they face the ire of their teachers and being ostracised by their peers.

It is important that we acknowledge the different pressures and challenges of individual families and so it is reassuring that a public information campaign is proposed for the months before the bill comes into force.

If we are to see meaningful cultural change then the public needs to be brought onside. During the public consultation, the committee allowed submissions from the age group that is most affected by physical punishments – under 16s.

My daughter was one of them.

"If a grown-up hit me, I would feel sad. Mummies and Daddies shouldn’t hit children because that is naughty. If the children did a bad thing then maybe they could explain to them not to do that bad thing because it means they will understand better and they won’t have a sore body."