Spanking may stop a child from misbehaving in the short term, but it becomes less and less effective with repeated use, according to the AAP; it also makes discipline more difficult as the child gets older and outgrows spanking.

*note: It is well known by those who know me that I have always taken issue with corporal punishment for many different theological, ideological and philosophical reasons. I will not engage in the religious component of this debate. Been there, done that, you can google til your heart's content. I am also always skeptical of "studies" even when they confirm what I believe. In addition, I understand we all do our best with the knowledge and tools we have so I am not judging. But because I believe we can always learn and grow more and adjust our actions accordingly, I find this article interesting and helpful and so I share. I also share to encourage my friends who also choose the somewhat unpopular (at least in certain circles) decision not to use physical punishment as a form of discipline.

I love this blog and this post is one I can relate to in every way...esp. the list list. LOL

If pornography seems like the last thing you need to talk to your kids about, you might be right. On the other hand you might be wrong. Good sex education isn’t about forcing one agenda or another on your kids. It’s about being responsive to questions asked and anticipating what kinds of information your kids might need given their environment.

If I could only give you one reason why you should at least think about talking to your kids about pornography it's that, if statistics are to be believed, they are likely to encounter some of it before they reach an age where they’ll be able to critically understand what they are seeing.

I wouldn’t recommend raising the topic of pornography out of the blue. But if you have a child who is already online or watches TV, or you have any pornography in your home (no matter how well hidden you think it is) I do think it behooves you to prepare to talk about pornography, and think ahead about how you want to talk about. MORE >>

Thanks to Becky Knight (http://www.livingsexuality.com) for the link to this helpful article.