According to new research, spanking your kids is an ineffective and harmful punishment that has significant negative repercussions.
Were you?!?)
If youre someone who believes in spanking your kids, youre likely not alone.
She is the founder of Little Otter, a childrens mental health practice.
Researchers found that spanking did not improve the behavior of those being spanked overall.
Instead, it exacerbated bad behavior, leading to increased aggression, antisocial behavior, and disruptive behavior.
Helen Egger, MD is a pediatric doctor, early childhood mental health expert, digital health expert, and prolific scientist. She is the founder of Little Otter, a children’s mental health practice.
And the more children received spankings, the more they acted out.
In other words, spanking had the opposite of its intended effect.
If parents think its improving behavior, thats just not the case.
In the past, such conclusions have been called into question due, explains Dr. Durrant.
Some experts have argued that frequently spanked children were more poorly behaved than those who werent.
When somebody hits us, it doesnt make things better, says Dr. Durrant.
It makes us angry and resentful, and it makes us want to go and punch somebody else.
It erodes the relationship, and it causes fear and anxiety.
Eventually, the child is left with a narrower repertoire of conflict resolution strategies.
Helen Egger, MD is a pediatric doctor, early childhood mental health expert, digital health expert, and prolific scientist. She is the founder of Little Otter, a children’s mental health practice.
This doesnt mean the parents set out to injure their children, Dr. Durrant says.
When youre frustrated, you hit with more force than you intended.
It can escalate really quickly.
And hitting anybody in that situationwhen youre angry or frustratedis a very high-stakes behavior.
But spanking, as noted above, actually makes those negative outcomesmorelikely.
Instead, Dr. Durrant suggests trying to figure out what motivated your childs mistake and addressing that directly.
For example, lets say your child is in trouble for running through the house.
Instead of spanking them, Dr. Durrant suggests investigatingwhythey were running.
You might find that the child had energy to burn after being stuck inside all day.
Children dont do things we consider bad to be bad, she says.
So we need to sit down and communicate with them.
What actually happened (Behavior)?
What are the results going to be (Consequences)?
Ignore the small stuff
Children want attention from their caregivers, says Dr. Egger, even if its negative.
When possible, ignore childrens behaviors, but do not ignore…the childs feelings, says Dr. Egger.
You might say, I am going to water the plants.
When you are ready, I would like to do that together.
Or pick up a book to read to the child.
Thats where they learn powerful lessonsby watching us.
So, we need to be the people that we want our children to be.
Dr. Egger notes that the American Academy of Pediatrics hasa policy statementagainst physically punishing children and offers alternative strategies.
Little Otters website offers a plethora ofresources, too.
…
Got it, you’ve been added to our email list.
