"Surveys show that something like 70 percent of Americans believe that children, at least sometimes, deserve to be spanked. Just writing that sentence makes me sick to my stomach: all those big adults hitting kids. Even worse, some researchers tell us that over 90 percent of preschoolers are spanked by an adult at least once in any two year span, and 30 percent of children one-year-old and under have been spanked. Who could hit a baby?

Spanking is hitting. Hitting is violence. Violence is morally wrong and I believe that the US should join the 48 nations that have made spanking illegal."

Click here to read the rest of this great post on Teacher Tom's blog.

"One could be excused if she were to come away from reading this blog with the idea that I'm not just pro-child, but also at least a little anti-adult. This is not true. After all, I am an adult myself. I like being an adult. In fact, if my fairy godmother presented me with a choice, I'd opt for adulthood in a heartbeat. There are certainly things I admire about children, like their boundless energy, short memories, and their ability to live for the moment, but I wouldn't trade away my adult advantages for any of it. Like I sometimes say to the kids, 'The best thing about being an adult is that you get to eat ice cream whenever you want.'"

Click here to read the rest of this article on Teacher Tom's Blog.

"One of the things that makes parenting so tough is that we don’t always see the effects of what we do straight away. Sometimes, getting it right can look the same as getting it wrong, and other times they can masquerade as each other. Are our boundaries too loose? Too tight? Do our words nurture their growth? Make them question their worth? Is this a time for consequences? Connection? How do I have both? "

Click here to read the rest of this article on heysigmund.com.

"The volcano has exploded. The floodgates are wide open. Your child is experiencing – and expressing – some BIG emotions.
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Your first instinct is to try to silence it: “Settle down. Calm down. You’re fine.”

Unfortunately, saying “calm down” when your child is crying or angry never works. Thankfully, there are ways you can support your upset child even when they are experiencing big feelings. Print these listening tips so you can reference them in the heat of the moment!"

Click here to see the rest of this great article on ImperfectFamilies.com.