A new report has come out stating children that are spanked may actually have a lower IQ then those that don’t get spanked. I want to know your opinion on this.
Spanking can get kids to behave in a hurry, but new research suggests it can do more harm than good to their noggins. The study, involving hundreds of U.S. children, showed the more a child was spanked, the lower his or her IQ compared with others.
“All parents want smart children,” said study researcher Murray Straus of the University of New Hampshire. “This research shows that avoiding spanking and correcting misbehavior …read more

I’ve been looking out the window all week to see if DHR was going to send someone to our house. I could argue that the incident was innocent enough, that my son was overreacting because he was in dire need of a nap.  I doubt that would hold up well in court. But it’s the truth.
It all started last weekend at Lowe’s Home Improvement. The gorgeous weather lured us to walk through the garden shop – along with everyone else in the city – to consider all the things we should plant once we find the time to actually do …read more

Every person surely remembers the great story by P.D. Eastman, about the bird who hatches and goes in search of his mother. He encounters many inanimate objects in his quest, whom he poses the question, “Are You My Mother?” to. As I read the book to my little ones, this morning, it made me think of the role of a parent and discipline. Every mom has different ways of disciplining their children. Some are against spanking, some are not. Some find time out the only acceptable form of corrective action, some have many forms. Some parents are the only ones who discipline their kids …read more

One of the most controversial episodes of Supernanny is being revisted by Dr. Keith Ablow.
Remember the great spanking debate?
After appearing on ABC’s “Supernanny,” two families with out-of-control children and differing parenting techniques join Dr. Keith to share their experiences before and after Nanny Jo made a house call.
If you’ve ever wondered how long the influence of Supernanny stays after she leaves, this is a great show to catch.
Let me know what you think…

California:  The state Legislature is about to weigh in on a question that stirs impassioned debate among moms and dads: Should parents spank their children?Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View, wants to outlaw spanking children up to 3 years old. If she succeeds, California would become the first state in the nation to explicitly ban parents from smacking their kids.
Making a swat on the behind a misdemeanor might seem a bit much for some — and the chances of the idea becoming law appear slim, at best — but Lieber begs to differ.  Via Mercury News
Dear gussy, half my family would …read more

Living as a Christian my entire life, I’ve always heard the scripture “spare the rod, spoil the child.”
I’m interested in learning what that means to our Super Nanny Rules readers.
So, what exactly does that scripture mean to you?  And how do you include that scripture in your everyday life, or do you?

Last nights episode of Supernanny focused on the Browersock family.  Thad and Jennifer, the parents of Maddy, age 7 – Hayden, age 6 and Lily age 4.
One thing I noticed while watching this episode was that my definition of spanking is obviously very different from the definition of others.

Spanking has come up a bit here recently, so I thought I’d throw this out as food for discussion. I’m not well versed in the history, but Dr. Spock was something of a parenting guru about 30 years ago. I seem to recall him falling our of favor in more recent times, but nevertheless what do you think of this quote:
If we are ever to turn toward a kindlier society and a safer world, a revulsion against the physical punishment of children would be a good place to start.
~ Dr. Benjamin Spock
What do you think?

In a recent comment, Helen asked about Supernanny’s stance toward spanking. While a previous Supernanny Rules poll was pretty evenly split, Supernanny’s stance is firm: Spanking is not necessary.
An article in the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette reports on the Lancaster (OH) Abuse Prevention Fund and how it are using Supernanny’s popularity to help educate parents and promote it’s no-spanking message. For more information visit their website at The Center for Effective Discipline.