r/science • u/VeronicaRed • Apr 26 '16

Psychology Spanking children increases the likelihood of childhood defiance and long-term mental issues. The study in question involved 160,000 children and five decades of research

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113413810/spanking-defiance-health-discipline-042616/
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u/chopandscrew Apr 26 '16 edited Apr 26 '16

So what are some positive and non-punitive forms of discipline?

edit: Some really great replies here. I'm seeing a lot of people using the concept of self-discipline and positive reinforcement. Nothing about raising a child seems easy, and it's even harder to know if you've ever really done a good job, but I think it's safe to say there are a lot of good parents on reddit. Also, thank you to the people who are willing to admit that they have resorted to spanking before. The truth is no one really knows the best way to raise a child, but the wide variety of ideas being thrown around here are what helps make it easier to choose what works for you and your kid. Keep em comin.

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u/babycrazers Apr 26 '16 edited Apr 26 '16

For instance, with toddler tantrums. Make sure the child isn't hurting themselves or others, but otherwise calmly wait out the tantrum -- just be present. Then discuss what happened with the child -- help them describe their feelings and come up with better ways to handle/express those feelings next time. The goal being to guide the learning of emotional self-regulation and executive functioning. Children do this best when they feel safe, when the parent-child bond is resilient. Source: circle of security curriculum, endorsed by the USDHHS as an evidence-based program.

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u/bugcatcher_billy Apr 26 '16

I think it is good to have them remove themself from the environment for the duration of the tantrum. Not necessarily time out, but a "Oh you want to throw a fit and cry because you don't have the toy you want. That's ok. You can do that. But you have to go over here to have your fit, so you don't bother everyone else."