Alternatives to Spanking

Wasn't it once said "This is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you." So taking that into consideration, what are alternatives to spanking? Many parenting magazines, books and article provide different techniques and ideas to helping us stay "spanking free", but what I feel it all boils down to is understanding and communication. Even at an early age a child can understand right from wrong. These little people know more than we give them credit for. What a child needs to understand though, is that their actions effect other people. Once this is understood, they will have a higher conscience of their actions and how they effect their environment.

As a parent, we need to understand that outburst or acts of defiance are usually a child's way of getting frustration out. No, it doesn't make it anymore acceptable, but a child can disobey a parent because they are really striving for attention. To grant this child attention is showing the child they have to "act out" in order to retrieve our undivided focus on them. How many times have we, as adults, started a disagreement with our spouse or partner about petty issues when it's really something else that's bothering us?

To find the root of the frustration isn't always easy, but our actions speak louder then words. To deny a child a privilege or send them to a time out with the over rated "Go think about what you did." often shuts down the child. A child often times doesn't plan to be disobedient. Some of their actions surprise even them because they are not fully aware of how it will effect or hurt others.