Jared Pingleton who is a clinical psychologist says “We won’t go wrong if we exercise a firm and consistent hand with a soft and loving heart.” There is a difference between spanking your child out of love and getting out of control and physically abusing your child. Spanking can be an effective discipline option for a parent to get their children away from negative behaviors and guide them to be responsible, healthy, and happy adults. Properly understood and administered, spanking is most effective as a deterrent to undesirable behavior for younger preschoolers (but never for infants). The reason why spanking should never be used for infants is because they don’t know exactly what they are doing right or wrong half the time. Spanking should be completely out of the picture before adolescence as there are other types of consequences. There is a proper philosophy and approach to spanking and it is very important. Punishment and discipline are very opposites. Punishment is motivated by anger and usually focuses on the past this is NO good. Discipline on the other hand is motivated by love for the child and focuses on the future, which is the proper …show more content…
But in a study, mothers who combined reasoning with negative consequences had the most success in changing negative behavior. Den A. Trumbull, M.D.; president of the American College of Pediatricians believes spanking is a proven way to reinforce milder disciplinary tactics. The researchers came to a conclusion that spanking disobedient 2- to 6- year-olds worked just as well at reforming their behaviors as 13 alternative disciplinary approaches like giving a time-out, reasoning with a child, and taking away privileges. As long as the parents explains the reason for their action it should not be considered corporal punishment. "Some kids are difficult to parent. At times, they simply won't stay in a time-out and they can't be reasoned with," says Robert Larzelere, Ph.D., author of the Clinical Child review