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California Considers Banning Spanking

California spankers beware, you may have to pay a fine or face jail time for spanking your kids. The state Legislature is seeking to outlaw spanking kids under the age of 3. Assemblywoman Sally Lieber of Mountain View, sponsored the bill. If it passes, California will become the first state to ban parents from spanking their kids. The bill is still being drafted and will be written in broad terms but will be written to prohibit “any striking of a child, any corporal punishment, smacking, hitting or punching”. The offense would be considered a misdemeanor and a parent could face … Continue reading →

14 Ways To Show Your Kids You Love Them

In a few short weeks it will be Valentine’s Day. Looking for ways to show your kids how much you love them? Consider these 14 tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics. 1. Use lots of positive words with your children and avoid sarcasm. 2. When your child has a physical or emotional need, respond promptly and lovingly. Banish all put-downs from your parenting vocabulary. 3. Make an extra effort to use phrases like “I’m sorry,” “please” and “thank you.” 4. If your child is angry, upset, in a bad mood , or generally having a bad day, take the … Continue reading →

Ways to Avoid Spanking

Although not every parent believes in spanking, for those who do, especially single parents that have added stress in dealing with children, I wanted to provide some alternatives to consider. I know that I only spanked my children on rare occasion. Instead, I found positive ways of discipline that actually were far more effective. Today, I have a 22 and 24 year-old, both wonderful and well adjusted adults. With spanking being such a controversial subject, experts have begun to conduct some in-depth studies to determine the long-term effects on the child. It was discovered that study after study showed children … Continue reading →

Time Outs for Toddlers

To say I am a firm believer in time outs for toddlers is an understatement. I have tried everything to get my son to behave and listen to what I tell him. He is a very strong-willed, hard-headed, stubborn child. He is full of energy and determination. Consequently, he is always getting into trouble. My son’s most recent reaction to getting into trouble is to smile and come over and hug me. I recently told him, “I don’t want a hug. I want you to listen and to do what you are told.” At that point, he leaned in and … Continue reading →

Discipline vs Punishment

Here’s a quick one question pop quiz. What’s the difference between punishment and discipline? According to Dr. Ed Wemberly, author of A Parent’s Guide to Raising Great Kids, although the two words are often used interchangeably they are not the same. Discipline is the practice of making someone obey rules, while punishment is the consequences of not following established rules. The differences may be subtle but they are still significant and must be considered if we want to be the kind of parent our kids need us to be. What type of parent are you? Are you a discipline-based parent? … Continue reading →

Discipline and the Adopted Child

Most of us carry on the things we learned as children, like how we view our roles in the family and the family patterns of behavior. We tend to discipline our children much the same way we ourselves were disciplined. It is our natural inclination to think our own way is the right way to parent our children. The problem is our parents’ child rearing skills and techniques may not be the best for children who come into our home as an adopted child. When we start this process called adoption it is easy to see this child we want … Continue reading →