When it comes to spanking your children or using any other form of corporal punishment, the American Academy of Pediatrics says don't do it. That's the new formal policy sent to pediatricians when they advise parents on the practice.

Results from a recent study show spanking may actually do more harm than good. The study found children who were spanked consistently didn't grow that part of the brain that's responsible for self-regulation at the same rate as kids who weren't spanked.

Instead, experts suggest finding other ways to diffuse the situation, while still teaching your child a lesson. Take a break, focus on the big picture, and keep your feelings separate from your child's behavior. Never resort to spanking.

According to Dr. Robert Sege, a Pediatrician at Tufts University and co-author of the new policy statement, parents are a child's first and most important teacher, and discipline is the way parents teach children right from wrong - "spanking isn't the way."


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