‘I was Spanked, and I’m Fine!’
We hear it all the time, when spanking is mentioned. Someone steps forward and says something like this:
“Well, I don’t see what all the fuss is about. I was spanked, and I’m fine. We all know that sometimes spanking is necessary for solving problems with kids. And since it’s both necessary and harmless, it should be allowed and even encouraged.”
At face value, this seems to be an airtight case – a perfectly logical justification of spanking as part of the necessary discipline of children. And a lot of people see it that way. But is it really so logical? Is spanking necessary? And is it as harmless as so many believe it to be? Jan Hunt of The Natural Child Project examines this…
Why Timeout as a Punishment Doesn’t Work
Are you tired of holding the bedroom door handle closed when your school-aged child is trying to leave during a timeout? Fed up with your child trashing his room during timeout? Frustrated because you can’t get your child to calm down and think about restitution during his timeout?
Perhaps it’s time to re-think the way a timeout is used. Timeout is a popular behavior modification technique designed to punish unacceptable behavior. Much like the use of a penalty box in a hockey game, the absence from positive play is supposed to teach children to stop doing the behavior that got them sent there. However, it rarely works. Judy Arnall, author of Discipline without Distress, explains…
AP with the Double-Digit Child (10+ years old)
We know that 
Attachment Parenting International’s Eight Principles of Parenting are fundamental in establishing the critical attachment bond with our little ones.
As children get older, their needs evolve. Once we’ve parented through infancy and toddlerhood, whether or not we’ve followed the Principles, how can we ensure that we raise compassionate, independent, secure, and cooperative older children? As the need for discipline increases, how can we respond positively and in alignment with the Eight Principles of Parenting? Gila Brown explains…
Do Consequences Work with Older Children?
Some years ago, API Links editor Camille North’s oldest son forgot his shoes on a routine trip to the grocery store. She and her son had struggled with the “shoe issue” for a while, and Camille hadn’t come up with a workable solution to help him remember to bring his shoes when they had errands to run. Frequently, they would have to double back to the house to retrieve a pair, and Camille would be impatient and irritable. This day, Camille decided to let her son take charge. They arrived at the store and, sure enough, his shoes were nowhere to be found. He ended up wearing his little sister’s flip-flops for the (mercifully short) shopping trip. He never again forgot his shoes.
“Do consequences work with older children? The whole concept made perfect sense with young children. However, the idea becomes more nebulous as your children get older and become more logical, inquisitive, intuitive, and analytical.” More…
Stay Connected with Your Grown Children: An interview with grandmother Ruth Nemzoff
Read in on The Attached Family editor Rita Brhel’s interview with the author of Don’t Bite Your Tongue – Ruth Nemzoff, a grandmother who believes that parenting doesn’t end just because your child turns 18 or 21 years old, gets married, or gives birth to her own children. More…
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