Tag Archives: spanking

Southerners Spank Their Kids More

Do you spank your kids as a means of discipline? According to a new study, if you live in the southern portion of the United States, then you probably answered the aforementioned question with a hearty: “Yee-haw!” or “Yes, Ma’m.” Seriously, some company paid to conduct a poll regarding the make-up of spank-happy parents. The result: Sixty-two percent of folks, who live below the Mason-Dixon Line, admit to slapping their kids on their backsides when they don’t mind their manners. The poll also revealed that Yankees are really not that cranky (or at least they don’t pop their kids on … Continue reading →

How to Get Your Preschooler to Listen

When it comes to getting a preschooler to do what you want or need him to do, there is a simple little trick that can stop the “no!” in its tracks. If I may brag a little bit for a moment, our children are usually complemented on their behavior when they are out in public or over at a friends house. Of course, there are a lot of factors involved here, such as making sure that they have had enough rest, that they are well fed, and the fact that the people complimenting our kids don’t actually live with us … Continue reading →

Was This Mom Too Harsh?

There’s a healthy debate going on in cyberspace right now regarding a California mom, who decided to put her own spin on her son’s DUI arrest. The incident started when the woman’s 16-year-old son decided to engage in some underage drinking at a friend’s house. Said teen, then decided to get behind the wheel of his mother’s car and drive home in the early morning hours, when he thought police wouldn’t be patrolling. Unbeknownst to the inebriated teen, 2 a.m. is when the majority of cops are on the lookout for reckless drivers. According to police reports, an officer saw … Continue reading →

Spanking in School

I attended Catholic school back in the 70s, so being hit by a ruler-wielding nun was nothing out of the ordinary. These days I highly doubt many parents would warmly embrace Sister Rose Fatima’s choice of discipline. Just ask parents in Chicago. According to a new investigative report by the CBS affiliate in the Windy City, teachers, coaches and other school administrators have allegedly beaten hundreds of public school students. The report goes on to say that corporal punishment in Chicago public schools is more widespread than most people realize. For the record, beating kids in school is illegal. Still, … Continue reading →

Teach Your Child to Be Polite

If a case of the demanding toddler or preschooler has hit your house you just may want to teach your little one some manners. While some people argue that we should just let kids be kids, I think it is important for children, even young children, to learn some basics of how to politely exist in society. I am not talking about toddler who know how to set a table, of course, but saying “please” and “thank you” and having respect for other people is certainly not out of reach. Here are some basics of being polite and how you … Continue reading →

How Often Do You Yell at Your Kids?

Unlike some other parents, one of my best friends from grade school, who mothers a rambunctious 9-year-old, has no qualms admitting that she yells at her son. “If it were not so darn effective, I wouldn’t do it,” she reminds me on a regular basis. I couldn’t help but think of my BFF, when reading the tsunami of comments generated by a single New York Times blog post. In it the writer, a mother of three young boys, details a moment when caves to fatigue and frustration and completely melts down in front of her sons. Crayons fly, along with … Continue reading →

The Santa Threat

It happened in a blink of an eye. I just couldn’t help myself. I don’t know what came over me. I’ve become one of those parents… a full-fledged adult who uses Santa Claus as a behavior modifier. I’ve tried to console myself by thinking of the millions of other parents who fall into the same trap this time of year. Still, I feel bad that in a moment of weakness I pulled out the Santa card and used it on my 4-year-old. The day started out so innocently. I had a list of errands to complete, including mailing out our … Continue reading →

Using Compromise with a Toddler 2

Yesterday in Using Compromise with a Toddler, I talked about how compromise can be a great form of discipline with your child. I talked about one type of compromise and gave a specific example that happened to occur in our household earlier this week. Now, let’s talk a little more about the art of compromise. Compromise is so important not only to help you avoid tantrums and maintain a peaceful relationship with your toddler, but it also can be a learning tool. Your toddler will learn from a very early age how important the skill of compromise is in life. … Continue reading →

When Losing Privileges Doesn’t Work

Taking away or losing privileges is one of the mainstays of parental discipline. Many of us find that next to time-outs, losing privileges becomes a good logical consequence to misbehavior. Of course, not all methods of discipline work well with all children, however, and there are those for whom losing privileges just does not seem to be a deterrent. Some kids care about stuff and things and some just are not very attached to items so losing the use of a bicycle or an apparently cherished toy or video game just does not seem to affect them like it does … Continue reading →

Is Your Discipline Different in Public Than at Home?

A hundred years ago, it was common for the more financial affluent families to have a parlor or a room in their house that was not used for the family but existed merely as a place to entertain. This room was better furnished, often cleaner, and may have been the only room in the house that was really decorated since it was the public face of the family. While it would be ridiculous for me to assume that there is not a difference between how we act in public and how we act when we are in our comfortable homes … Continue reading →