What is the Islamic opinion about physical punishment for children?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Islam orders the parents to educate their children from an early age on the right religion and good morals, so that they grow up on it. There are many Ahadeeth urging this to be done. The Prophet said: “Be generous to your children and educate them well." [Ibn Maajah]

Moreover, Ayoob Ibn Moosa, narrated from his grandfather that the Prophet said: “No father has granted his child anything better than a good education.” [At-Tirmithi]

The Prophet also said: “It is better for a man to educate his child than to give a Saa' in alms.” [At-Tirmithi]

Al-Mannawi said while interpreting this Hadeeth: “This is because when the man educates his child, the good deeds of this child are considered from his father's continuous charity (deeds that the person keeps on being rewarded for even after his death) while the reward of the Saa' is given only once.”

Now, if the children are responding in a positive way, then that is good. Otherwise, one can resort to some slight punishment to protect their benefits and to educate them in a good way.

Al-Fawaakih ad-Dawaani reads: “The educator is requested to resort to corporal punishment while teaching the Quran and good ethics, when the child swears, lies, steals or does any bad things that are forbidden for an adult. He can also punish the child if he flees from the school. This corporal punishment differs according to the nature of the act and the status of the person himself.”

The evidence for the above is the Hadeeth that the Prophet said: “Order your children to pray when they are seven years old and beat them if they neglect praying or give it up when they reach ten years old.” [Abu Daawood]

Allah knows best.