2 ms·

The reason children aren't behaving (at least in the U.S.) is because a large number of parents never practice parenting and never seek out advice from reliable

The reason children aren't behaving (at least in the U.S.) is because a large number of parents never practice parenting and never seek out advice from reliable resources. For example-- I've heard numerous vacuous rationalizations from parents young and old for spanking their children. What's the research say on spanking? The vast majority over decades says that it doesn't improve behavior and in fact increases the likelihood of aggression in children. So why would parents continue doing it? It's the same reason an ineffectual guitarist keeps starting over on Stairway to Heaven. Because, "Gosh, I had it perfect once out of 200 failures in my bedroom by myself last week." So it is with parents: "Gosh, I don't get why they're acting out, they were so good that one time out of 200 outbursts while I was paying a moderate amount of attention to them last week." Edit: clarification

frabbit 8y ago
Agreed. Obviously you are being voted down by people who are spankers, but just can't reach you through the intertubes, no matter how hard they try. We have never had to spank. Maybe we'll regret it when they turn into heroin addicts in their 20s, but right now they are decent, loveable people.
alien_at_work 8y ago
>never seek out advice from reliable resources. What reliable resources would those be? Poorly defined, crap studies done by people who've never had children and the study was never independantly reproduced by anyone? In the beginning, pain is the only means of communication (although we didn't actually spank, a little tug on the side burns did the trick). In my experience, once a child is old enough to understand time-based punishment (e.g. you don't get to watch TV tomorrow) a little and what it will mean, that becomes more effective.
bambataa 8y ago
There is a general belief that parents inherently know best for their own children and to hell with any experts or professionals who might experience from more than their own children.

frabbit 8y ago

Agreed. Obviously you are being voted down by people who are spankers, but just can't reach you through the intertubes, no matter how hard they try. We have never had to spank. Maybe we'll regret it when they turn into heroin addicts in their 20s, but right now they are decent, loveable people.

alien_at_work 8y ago

>never seek out advice from reliable resources. What reliable resources would those be? Poorly defined, crap studies done by people who've never had children and the study was never independantly reproduced by anyone? In the beginning, pain is the only means of communication (although we didn't actually spank, a little tug on the side burns did the trick). In my experience, once a child is old enough to understand time-based punishment (e.g. you don't get to watch TV tomorrow) a little and what it will mean, that becomes more effective.

bambataa 8y ago

There is a general belief that parents inherently know best for their own children and to hell with any experts or professionals who might experience from more than their own children.