I see smacking is in the news again today with Justice Secretary Chris Grayling saying that he smacked his own children when they were young and has defended the right of parents to smack. The Conservative minister, who has two grown-up children, told the Mail on Sunday smacking young children sometimes “sends a message”. He […]
Smacking is never out of the headlines and recently Coronation Street’s controversial smacking storyline sparked up the hot debate over whether smacking really works. Today we are joined by parenting guru Sue Atkins to launch a new strand called Parenting Power with a discussion on discipline. Sue will be giving tips on how […]
Today I am delighted to have Vivien Sabel as my guest blogger putting forward her opinion on smacking or spanking as my USA parents call it ! “Smacking or spanking is an act of aggression and in some cases violence against a child. In my opinion it has no demonstrative qualities and it has […]
I met Duncan Grant an Ambassador for the NSPCC last night and we were talking about the Full Stop Campaign so I read with interest today an article in The Daily Telegraph about how smacking children reduces their emotional intelligence and makes their behaviour even worse, claims a new study. Here is an article I wrote awhile back […]
There is a “definitive link” between smacking children and behavioural difficulties, a new study has found. Researchers at University College London, who reviewed 20 years of research on the topic, found that physical punishment is not effective in improving children’s behaviour, and instead makes it worse. I have been on Channel 5 News, BBC Radio, LBC and interviewed a great deal this week as a new […]
The Parentverse: Expert Interviews A Global Conversation with Experts from Around the World ‘The Parentverse’ is a collection of the very best of ‘Sue in Conversation With’…. interviews – with global experts from around the world, covering all aspects of parenting & child development. Sue has interviewed Deborah McNelis from the USA who specialises in […]
An Age-old Problem That Needs New and Innovative Solutions What is bullying and how does it differ in boys and girls? As a former teacher I sometimes had parents in to see me accusing other children in the class of bullying their children when it was often children trying to assert their independence or […]
Biting! Vampires ???? at the Nursery ! Biting amongst little ones is a distressing but common problem for parents. But why do toddlers bite and how can you prevent it? Why toddlers bite. I think it’s really helpful to understand why your toddler may start biting before you start trying to change their behaviour. […]
I receive many questions for my The Sue Atkins Parenting Show Podcast about babies & sleep: Is letting your baby cry itself to sleep at night cruel and unnatural or no big deal? What is best for your baby: crying itself to sleep, controlled crying or being soothed on demand? I find almost nothing […]
‘The Parentverse’ is a collection of the very best of ‘Sue in Conversation With’…. interviews – with global experts from around the world, covering all aspects of parenting & child development. Sue has interviewed Deborah McNelis from the USA who specialises in early brain development, Gill Connell from New Zealand who specialises in the importance of […]
Everyone gets angry with their kids at some time or another – it’s normal – it’s healthy. Kids know just what buttons to push and they push them! It helps to accept that anger is an honest emotion, but it’s what you choose to do with your anger that’s important. Don’t be afraid to […]
It’s a raw subject because my daughter lives on Clapham Common. She walks, runs, socialises & loves the buzz of living in the area where I was born & went to school. It’s raw because it was so badly handled by the police. It’s raw because we all have stories of clutching keys, talking on […]
How Do I Communicate Better With My Kids ? Communication with children is essential to their relationships and to their healthy development. Effective communication is an essential & important life skill in all aspects of our lives, from talking & listening to our partners, clients or work colleagues to communicating with our children. During this past […]
Smacking is back in the news again. Bringing up happy, healthy, polite and caring children has never been easy. Everyone gets angry with their kids at some time or another – it’s normal – it’s healthy. Kids know just what buttons to push and they push them! I know mine do! But what sort of […]
Why You Shouldn’t Smack Your Kids….. Here are 10 Reasons To ‘Pause To Ponder’ …… Another recent study reveals a connection between spanking/ smacking in childhood and mental health diagnoses later in life. Whether or not you agree with the findings, here are 10 reasons smacking is never a good idea. Smacking shows that “bigger & stronger” is […]
