Stop Hitting Kids

This episode addresses parenting and discipline using pain and physical punishment.  The research is very clear about how physical punishment alters brain structures and functioning and causes kids to feel unsafe and as though they have to survive these interactions.

If you're not clear on typical chlidhood brain development, start here!

Spanking may lead to short term behavior change but doesn't teach kids what to do differently. You can look at research studies here, here, and here to give clear information about the impacts physical discipline has on kids. One of these articles note: "spanking is a euphemism for a socially acceptable form of hitting that constitutes parent-to-child violence ."

When kids are punished through physical pain, their brains send signals as though they are in danger and releases stress hormones for them to survive the interaction. They are not able to change this reaction just because it's their parent who is the one hurting them as opposed to a stranger.  When this stress response happens over and over again, this can lead to behavioral and emotional changes, due to the stress hormones that overwhelm their system.

One of the key factors that causes stress to become toxic is the lack of a supportive adult, helping you manage the distress you are experiencing. If the adult who is supposed to help you regulate but is also the source of your stress and distress, this causes confusion and damage over time.

Our goal in this episode is for parents to have all the information and while we understand this is hard to hear and may cause defensive feelings, it's that important to us that we present the research in ways that protects our kids as much as possible.

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