Raising Good Kids Without Hitting www.stophitting.com

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Working with the Media

If you host a SpankOut Day USA event, you may be contacted by the media to provide information about your activity and your organization.

Things to do/think about before a media contact:

1. Have the following handouts at your fingertips to help you answer media questions: What is SpankOut Day? (MS Word), Ten Guidelines for Raising a Well-Behaved Child and Ten Reasons for NOT Hitting Children.
2. The purpose of SpankOut Day is to provide widespread visibility for the need to stop hitting children and learn alternative methods of discipline.
3. Discipline is critical to raising children to be caring, responsible and productive adults. Emphasize effective, positive discipline strategies and prevention.
4. Effective discipline is that which comes from parents or other caregivers who are models of self-discipline, who provide appropriate rules and responsibilities for children and who provide consistent love and attention to children. When children misbehave, several responses are helpful including reasoning, brief time-outs, use of consequences, and removing privileges.

Suggestions for talking to the media:

1. Answer questions as honestly as you can. If you don't know an answer, ask for time to get the information and provide a time when you will respond.
2. Stay with the reporter as he/she moves through your facility so that you can answer questions as they arise.
3. Try to make your most important points in the beginning.
4. Do not argue with the reporter or lose your cool.
5. Write a note thanking the reporter for his/her time.

National Contact:

Nadine Block,
Center for Effective Discipline,
(614) 221-8829, info@stophitting.com