Raising Good Kids Without Hitting www.stophitting.com

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Press Release

Focus on Positive Discipline April 30, SpankOut Day USA

[name of your city, state] ~ Parents and other caregivers of children are asked to recognize SpankOut Day USA on April 30th by not using corporal punishment on children and by using child-rearing practices that help develop caring, responsible, and self-disciplined adults. To help parents raise good, responsible children without hitting, EPOCH-USA (End Physical Punishment of Children) and [your organization, if applicable] are offering information on positive discipline methods.

"Parents can raise responsible children by being consistent about rules, and consequences for disobeying rules, and by giving children consistent love and attention," said [your spokesperson, or Nadine Block, Director of the Center for Effective Discipline]. "Hitting children sometimes leads to injuries and is not effective in teaching children better behavior. It teaches that it is all right to hurt others who are smaller and weaker. Educating parents about effective discipline strategies and informing them about the negative effects of corporal punishment will lead to safer discipline. More than twenty European nations do not permit hitting children in homes, schools or daycare. If those nations can manage children's behavior every day without hitting, certainly we can manage it for one day!"

Ten Guidelines for Raising a Well-Behaved Child

1. Whenever possible, teach rather than punish. The goal of discipline is to teach children acceptable behavior. Hitting children does not teach acceptable behavior, it teaches children that "might makes right" and hitting is a way to solve problems.
2. View children's misbehavior as a mistake in judgment. It will be easier to think of ways to teach more acceptable behavior.
3. Whenever possible, make consequences relate to misbehavior. If a child hurts someone's feelings, the child should apologize. It the child makes a mess, he/she should clean it up.
4. Have behavior rules but make sure they are few in number, reasonable, and appropriate to the child's age and development.
5. Make sure that consequences for misbehavior are reasonable and clear.
6. Don't argue or nag children about rules. If a rule is broken, remind the child of the rule and the consequence for not following the rule. When you give a command, speak in a firm voice and repeat the command only twice.
7. If your child has many behaviors which concern you, don't try to change all of them at once. Choose one behavior of concern. Explain why the behavior is a problem. Provide consequences for misbehavior and praise the opposite behavior when your child demonstrates it.
8. Distract infants and toddlers when they are doing something you don't like or remove them from the situation. Infants and toddlers do not understand right and wrong and should not be hit or shaken.
9. Use good manners when talking to children about their behavior. Be sure to use "I'm sorry," "May I?" and "Excuse me" when they are appropriate. Be a good model for your children in your speech and actions.
10. Catch your child being good! Your praise or hug will increase appropriate behavior.

For more information about SpankOut Day USA, effective parenting tips, research, laws, and worldwide progress, visit www.stophitting.com.