Blog Posts by Parenting.com

Bratty Kidby Hayley at Parenting

With studies linking it to aggressive behavior and mental illness later in life, you'd think spanking would be a taboo form of discipline that few parents would admit to doing, much less in public. But a new study conducted by Michigan State University revealed one in four parents discipline their child with negative physical contact, often in the form of spanking.

Plus: Spanking Can Lead to Aggressive Behavior in Children

In the study, published in the August 3 edition of Behavior and Social Issues , researchers observed 106 instances of discipline in public settings with children ages three to five. Twenty-three percent of the instances were viewed as negative physical contact that included spanking, arm pulling, pinching and slapping. Dr. Kathy Stansbury, a researcher in the study, told CBS News that the high number of incidences surprised her, as she had never seen these results in a lab setting, where parents would know they are being observed

parenting.com

By Matt Villano

My family and I are at Disneyland this week, chasing Minnie Mouse, exploring the new Cars Land and shrieking like banshees on Thunder Mountain. We were here last in April. Under normal circumstances, there's no way we could have afforded two trips in one calendar year to see the Mouse. But with an amazing vacation package from Disney itself, we're living large for less.

Plus: Plan a Last Minute Getaway

It turns out deals like ours are the secret to doing just about everything at Disneyland on the cheap. Here are some of my favorite places to find them:

-The Walt Disney Travel Company offers deals not only on hotel accommodations, but on complete packages as well. (Often there are other perks, too, such as special hours in Toon Town, and phone calls from specific characters at set times of day and night.)

-Expedia, the travel web site, is offering a number of discount promotions from now through the end of summer. Two of my faves: this one, which

Pregnant womanby Therese at Parenting

According to The London Evening Standard, approximately 1 in 10 women who undergo a caesarean section will suffer from a related infection. Findings from the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology revealed that infection was more common in women who were either overweight (1.6 times more likely), or obese (between 2.4 and 3.7 times more likely) than those women of a healthy weight.

Plus: Obese Dad Denied Custody Over Weight

Out of the women who suffered from infection, the majority of infections, 88% in fact, were minor, though 25 of the 4,107 women in the study developed serious infections in the lining of their wombs. And two women from the same study, conducted by the Health Production Agency (HPA), were diagnosed with reproductive tract infections. Additionally, research revealed that women under the age of 20 were at a greater risk for infection, as compared to those between the ages of 25 and 30, though researchers at the HPA are unsure

parentingby Katie at Parenting.com

Parents and children across America spend the summer outside, going to parks, and playing with sidewalk chalk. However, for Susan Mortensen of Virginia, this combination put her in court facing vandalism charges, and a ban from all city parks, reports New York Daily News.

PLUS: Tennessee Mom Arrested After Letting Kids Play Outside Unsupervised

Susan Mortensen of Richmond, Virginia was reprimanded by a James River Park officer when she allowed her four-year-old daughter to color rocks with sidewalk chalk. Ralph White, park manager, told news reporters that chalk is no different than spray paint, and is akin to any other type of vandalism, saying, "It doesn't matter what the medium is. It's offensive".

PLUS: Mom Arrested for Cheering at Daughter's Graduation

On Tuesday, a judge ruled to dismiss charges, after sentencing Mortensen to 50 hours community service. Additionally, Mortensen is expected to pay a fine of $325, and faces a ban from all city parks. In

Parents May Be Inflicting Emotional Abuse Without Realizing ItBy Hayley at Parenting

Most parents would probably say that they could easily spot child abuse and would never do something so harmful themselves. But a new study by the American Academy of Pediatrics finds that parents may be unintentionally inflicting not physical, but harder-to-define emotional abuse on their children.

Plus: 9 Things You Shouldn't Say To Your Child

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, says that emotional abuse can be just as harmful as other forms of abuse but it is very hard to define. Roberta Hibbard, co-author of the report and director of child protection programs at Indiana University and Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, defines abuse to USA Today as "an interaction between a parent and child inflicts harm and causes difficulty with the child's emotional well-being and development." Hibbard describes the most common forms of emotional abuse parents inflict as repeated insults, threats, ignoring a child or even being too

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By Elina Bolokhova
Mixing a career with mommyhood is never easy. There are dozens of questions that can plague a new, working mom: will she go back to work? If so, how soon? Will she have to work on her maternity leave (like a certain, high-profile CEO)? Questions that are, in short, mostly focused on what happens after the little bundle-of-joy arrives. But a new study from the University of Essex might inspire more consideration on the before, as it has found that working after eight months of pregnancy is as harmful to babies as smoking, reports the Guardian.

Plus: The Pathetic State of Maternity Leave in the U.S.

Women who continued to work after they were eight months pregnancy had infants half a pound lighter than those who left work between six and eight months. Babies whose mothers worked or smoked throughout pregnancy grew more slowly in the womb. Stopping work early in pregnancy was especially beneficial for women who had fewer levels of education, which suggests

Veer

By Sasha Emmons
Have you put off having more kids because of the poor economy? If so, you're not alone. The rate of births in the United States is poised to hit its lowest point in 25 years, and isn't expected to rebound for at least two years, according to Demographic Intelligence, a company that produces quarterly birth forecasts for consumer products and pharmaceutical companies that market to pregnant and new moms.

While the average woman had 2.12 births in 2007, Demographic Intelligence estimates the rate to hit 1.87 this year and 1.86 next year-the lowest since 1987. The decline is particularly seen in twentysomethings, who might be having trouble finding steady work and still living with their parents instead of starting their own families. A later start could translate into fewer children later as fertility declines with age. Hispanics and the less educated have also seen a large dip in birthrate.

In order to keep the population steady, the birth rate must be 2.1

Splash Newsby Sasha Emmons

Debbie Phelps' son, swimmer Michael Phelps, is the most decorated swimmer ever, and could become the top Olympian of all time at the upcoming London games. So how did this school principal and single mom of three raise such an extraordinary son-and how does she feel about his swimming career coming to an end? Phelps took time out of her busy schedule to talk to us about the London games, her emotional reactions on TV, and Ask, Listen, Learn, the Century Council's new program to get parents and kids talking about underage drinking.

Plus: Q&A With Olympic Swimmer and Mom Janet Evans

So how did you get involved with the Ask, Listen, Learn Program?

I feel as a middle school principal and educator for almost four decades I'm always looking for ways to be able to bring information to middle school-age children and parents. I was very honored to be able to speak on this program's behalf, which focuses on healthy lifestyles as well as underage drinking. Very