But it's not the best choice. That's according to Dr. William Sears, pediatrician and author of The Successful Child. He says parents should tell themselves they won't spank their children, but they will discipline them.
According to Sears, discipline is about what you do with your child, not to your child. He says you need to adopt the "we" principle: "This is what we do, this is how we behave". This way, your child will learn what "good" behavior is all about.
In addition, Sears offers these alternatives to spanking:
  • Take a break: Give your child a time-out. Call it "thinking time" or personalize it, as in "Tommy Time".
  • Use the When...Then Technique: Instill the cause and effect of choices. For example, "When you pick up your toys, then we can go out and play."
And a final non-spanking strategy: Replay or Rewind. When your child really misbehaves, take them aside and say, "Let's replay that to see if you can do it better."
If you'd like to go further, the name of the book again is The Successful Child by Dr. William Sears.