There has been a lot of media coverage lately about the great spanking debate. Should spanking be used as a form of discipline? Do you spank your kids? What if a nanny works in a spanking household? Should she spank the children?
Out of 1000 readers polled at Parent.com 81% said they have spanked their child at least once. I admit it… I was shocked at this number. It seemed high to me.
Every side has their opinion and facts to back it up.
A 2010 Pediatrics study showed that “3 year olds who were spanked more than twice a month were 50% more likely to exhibit hostile tendencies by age 5.”
In 2005 a review of 26 spanking studies published by Clinical Child and Family Psychology review concluded “that spanking disobedient 2-6 year olds worked just as well as other non-spanking methods. As long as the parent lovingly and rationally explained reasons for their actions.”
For a nanny discipline is something that needs to be talked about during interviews. Once agreed upon the discipline method should be written into a contract between the nanny and the family. Nannies and parents need to keep an open line of communication so that as kids get older and behavior changes new ideas and techniques can be used.
Good post, and I agree that it’s usually wise to include a discipline method or philosophy in a nanny employment contract. Even more important, as you mention, is keeping an open line of communication, as disciplinary methods may evolve as children get older. With newborns, for example, no disciplinary method is needed of course, so parents and their new nanny may overlook the subject entirely. Eighteen months later, though, time-outs, etc. may need to be introduced.