Spanking children is one of the most controversial topics in parenting today. About 80% of parents say they have spanked their kids at least once, but as always, the experts are divided. Some say a swat on the behind is harmless, while others claim that it is a form of corporal punishment that should never be used on children. It’s normal for parents to try an array of discipline in their home. What worked for one child may not work for another child and vice versa. It even varies with the same child from day to day. You may find that time out worked perfectly well yesterday and was a complete disaster today. This is one of the reasons parenting children is so difficult.
While spanking may temporarily stop the unwanted behavior it is rarely effective long term. The most effective forms of discipline teach children about the natural consequences of the decisions they make. Time outs can be effective for many children as long as they are done appropriately. Sometimes kids just need a few minutes by themselves to calm down. Removing them from the situation entirely is a good way for them to recollect. They are less likely to throw a temper tantrum if they aren’t getting the attention for it.
No matter what form of discipline you are using the most important thing is that your child knows that they are loved unconditionally by both of their parents. Let them take the natural consequences of their decisions. Use these little teaching moments while your children are young. It is much harder to correct the poor behavior as they get older. Your children will inevitably make mistakes, maybe even some pretty big ones, but as you lovingly correct the behavior they will learn and grow from those mistakes. They may not always like it, but one day they will thank you for lovingly letting them learn the hard way.