As parents we have all been there.  An embarrassing time at a store with a famous TANTRUM! We become overwhelmed and uneasy when people start looking at our children behave badly.  Automatically we are being judged as parents, and that our child lacks discipline.  I am a fan of discipline I think that it is important to let kids know that they are not in charge.  If we allow them to get away with it once, that is pretty much all it takes.  Every parents utilizes discipline differently, and with the internet we can find so many alternative methods to discipline for whatever is best for parent and child.  We are human and tend to blow up every once in a while.  Especially as a parent.  When it comes to disciplining your child we have to be patient so that it is done in love and not anger.  This can definitely have a negative impact on the child.            

     So the question at hand remains; is hitting or spanking your child an option? According to a study from The American Academy of Pediatrics they oppose corporal punishment, but studies have shown that up to 80% of parents report that they rely on it to some extent (Health land.time.com, 2012).  This study also explains that any type of abuse can harm a person’s mental health and state of mind, especially in a child.  Conducting this research allowed me to understand a different aspect of discipline and if it is not handled correctly it can affect the child.  When hearing the word discipline we automatically associate that with hitting, naturally.  This is not the case.  We have to protect our children from these potential risks and developmental issues that they can incur.  We can do our part by doing the necessary research to teach our kids the right way.  At first I didn’t know if I completely agreed with this article, because naturally I am a skeptic.   So I read on, in the study they were going to examine different types of physical punishment.  The five consisted of; Hitting, slapping, grabbing, pushing, and shoving, they analyzed 20 thousand people from the age of 20 and older.  Out of that 20 thousand only 1,258 reported to be affected by physical abuse of the ones listed, while 19,349 people they had rarely experienced this type of abuse (Health land.time.com, 2012).  Of course these numbers are based on a numerous amount of factors such as race, education, marital statuses, and a history of family dysfunction. 

            I have finally concluded that physical punishment is not the best alternative for discipline.  Our kids need us to discipline them, however there is a right and wrong way to handle this.  Before my research, I believed a slap on the hand or spank on the butt would help the child, but really what does it do? I use timeouts and this method has worked for me, even if it is for five minutes at a time, they learn from their mistakes and will watch how you handle yours.  Maybe as children our parents did things a certain way and we didn’t like it, now we have an opportunity to break the cycle. 

            Thanks for stopping by, as always I love feedback and to hear your thoughts and ideas on these issues.  Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way.  Together we can strive for mommy success! 🙂