Your Parenting Mojo - Respectful, Research-based Parenting Ideas To Help Kids Thrive

“On average, authoritative parents spanked just as much as the average of all other parents.  Undoubtedly, some parents can be authoritative without using spanking but we have no evidence that all or even most parents can achieve authoritative parenting without an occasional spank.”    I was fascinated by this statement, since authoritative parenting is the best style.     We know it’s the best, right?   I mean, everyone says it is.  Including me.   And who was the co-author on this paper this statement comes from?     None other than Dr. Diana Baumrind, creator of the Parenting Styles (although they weren’t called that then; they were originally called the Models of Parental Control.     Just to make sure we’re on the same page here, I’m going to say that again: Dr. Diana Baumrind, who created the parenting styles/model of parental control, says you can’t achieve the parenting style that has the ‘best’ outcomes for children without an occasional spank.   So in