Punishment

Scary! Everyone's heard of a time-out corner, quiet time, or even a trip to the principal's office if tots get out of line at school, but how about a "scream room"? With images eerily reminiscent of some creepy kiddie version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, schools are implementing so-called "scream rooms," where kids in need of letting off some steam are sent to scream their lil heads off.

These rooms are technically called time-out rooms, which sound innocuous enough, but some parents claim that these areas are far more traumatizing. Described by one parent as, "scream closets, where kids bang their heads off of concrete walls." Yikes. Sounds more like a subpar mental health facility or solitary confinement chamber than a safe place for young kids to attempt to settle themselves down. Understandably, parents aren't happy about this, and are protesting the use of these rooms as appropriate ways to handle kids' behavioral issues.

What do you think? Would you be in favor of a place for your tot to go scream it out at school?

Last week, we shared a story from The Mommy Club about a man on a bus who decided to teach a feisty toddler a lesson. Many of you had strong reactions to the incident. While some thought the man overreacted, others thought the mom talking on her cell phone was at fault.

• "I get really annoyed at parents who don't try to control their kids. The mom should really have paid attention and made sure her son knew this behavior was not okay. She didn't, and I think it would have been absolutely fine for someone to have spoken up. But the man's reaction is crazy." – starbucks
• "The title of this post is misleading. It says punish, but this man abused the kid! If I were the mom (frankly I'm more diligent than that to begin with and my kid knows better than to run around crazy in public) and someone told him to stop I'd be fine with it. I would apologize to them and pull my son on my lap. Someone kicking him and yelling at him is a totally different story! But even if someone did kick him, I wouldn't stand up threatening to kill someone." — amandachalynn
• "I think the man was out of line, but the mom is defiantly at fault, too. Like starbucks said, it would have been fine for someone to speak up. I also get very annoyed at people who do nothing to control their kids because it gives us all a bad name." — Carri
• "All of you millennium Moms crack me up. The Mom was totally at fault 100%. The elderly man was doing what elders do, teach the young consequences of their actions. Its just too bad the elderly man wasn't related to him, or else it would have been a different conversation. It does take a village...and if you don't like the villagers raising your child, get off the freakin' phone!" — mamasanh
• "Both at fault. Mom is the bigger problem. Americans are raising their children showing them that technology is a priority. I am appalled at how many parents with children, of any age for that matter, that pay more attention to a hand held gadget than their child. And this isn't just about parents of children that are misbehaving. I have seen numerous accounts of poorly behaved and perfectly behaved children with parent that would rather be having screen time than interacting with their children. Sad, but true." — madcitymom

Keep reading to see how other mamas chimed in!

Another day, another study about the long-term effects of spanking on lil ones' overall behavior, but this one may put an end to the debate once and for all. Earlier this year, researchers found that children between the ages of two and six grew up to be happier and more successful than those who had never been hit. But today's study, which followed 2,500 tots, found that using corporal punishment on toddlers can lead to aggression in preschoolers.

Unlike previous studies, Tulane researchers took other factors, such as stress, substance abuse, and physical abuse of the parents into account this time and still found a link between spanking and aggression. In their report, researchers noted that 3 year olds who were spanked three times or more the previous month were 50 percent more likely to be disobedient – or bullies – at 5 years old.

Seventy-five of LilSugar readers said they spank their kids. Does this new study change your opinion on the matter?

Spanking is a controversial subject. There are those who proudly admit to the old school swat, and there are those who denounce the practice and are quick to point out other ways to discipline children without the physical force. Like a ping-pong ball, the studies keep switching sides claiming one minute it's beneficial for youngsters to be exposed to tough love via swatting and the next minute, a new study says children who have been spanked are better off for it... if it's within a certain time frame. Currently the ball is on the side of the pro-spanking court. A new study says that wee ones who were spanked between ages two and six actually benefited from corporal punishment. The Daily Mail reports:

Young children who are smacked by their parents grow up to be happier and more successful than those who have never been hit, research claims. It found that children who are smacked before the age of six perform better at school when they are teenagers. They are also more likely to do voluntary work and to want to go to university than those who have never been physically disciplined.

While that all sounds dandy for those who rule with a firm hand, the study also says that children who are hit after the age of six were more likely to have behavioral problems. Are you surprised by the latest claims?

A child of the 70s, I clearly recall some of my elementary school teachers using physical means to get some students to behave. Things are much different in the 21st century, or at least one might think. Though only legal in some parts of 21 states, Principal David Nixon of Calhoun Hills, South Carolina, has taken to using his paddle to discipline his pupils. Oddly enough, it was one of the parents who tipped him off to the idea. His first day on the job, a father told him, "I want to give you the authority to whip my son's butt." As the new boss at a severely struggling public school, the 31-year-old head honcho literally started taking matters into his own hands and began spanking mischievous pupils when he deemed necessary.

Fortunately for the youngsters, he didn't find it mandatory all that often, but many teachers and parents credit his practices for putting the school and its students on a better path. Not always the image of doom, the young authoritarian also knows how to celebrate the kids' accomplishments. He throws pizza parties for good test scores and arranges school pageants.

Consistent with the state law, Nixon gives parents the choice to allow or deny corporal punishment by school officials. Since 73 percent of lilsugar readers are admitted spankers, I'm curious to know, would you give your child's school permission to pop your child?

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