One of the hardest conversations I can have with a child and/or a parent is around the topic of spanking. I respectfully ask those parents who choose spanking as a method for disciplining their children to consider the recent research published in Pediatrics. pdf of Pediatrics study The study concludes that "Spanking remains a typical rearing experience for American children. These results demonstrate negative effects of spanking on child behavioral and cognitive development in a longitudinal sample from birth through 9 years of age."
NYTimes: Spanking's Link to Bad Behavior
Please refer to The American Academy of Pediatrics for more information on this topic and to learn about more effective strategies to use in the important job of raising children. As always, please call me with any questions, comments, or concerns.
