The subject of discipline is one parents need to tackle early on. The Quad City Moms Bloggers met up to discuss how they decided their parenting style and the factors that went into their decision.
In this group, some of the moms say they spank their children, while others say they have chosen not to. But they all agree that the decision came through discussion with their partner, considering their individual preferences and the way their own parents raised them.
The moms who do spank say it's not something parents feel comfortable admitting openly."
"It's like a lot of things in this world," said Heather. "It becomes taboo because people take it to the extreme."
"I think people are afraid of child welfare," agreed Jen. "You hear the horror stories about that, and you're afraid of stigmas. There is a stigma."
That becomes especially true when spanking enters the headlines the way it did earlier this year, with a new study claiming spanking could lead to mental illness later in life. The moms say it's important to read and get information, but to use the research as a discussion point and not as a mandate.
"You do what you think is best, and you hope and pray that ends up being best for your child," said Camye.
"We keep trying one thing after the other trying to find something that works for our daughter," said Ellie.
Heather says sometimes there needs to be a little trial and error when it comes to discipline. "What works for my daughter, doesn't work for my son," she said. "That's okay, because they are separate children. Mia is a rewards girl. She does well being rewarded for good behavior."
The moms also agree that discipline does not have to be negative.
"There was one point when we were in the negativity zone," Heather continued. "Everything was no, no, no. Why would they respond to that?"
"At any age with the right words, you can discipline your child," she said.
Read more here:
Study linking spanking and mental illness: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/spanking-kids-leads-adult-mental-illnesses/story?id=16695697
Related Quad City Moms Blog Posts
How to speak your child's love language: http://www.quadcitymomsblog.com/2012/02/06/storytime-for-mom/
Discussing discipline: http://www.quadcitymomsblog.com/2012/02/09/this-moms-life-meet-marie/