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Parenting Expert Amy McCready On Spanking & "The Birds & The Bees" Talk

The Bobby Bones Show talks a lot about parenting during the show with parents Amy, Eddie, Lunchbox, and Scuba Steve. It was time to bring a parenting expert on the show so Amy McCready came on to talk about some of their recent parenting decisions and frequently asked parenting questions.

On a previous show, Eddie confessed he pays his kids to play sports. McCready said if we pay kids to do things then it sends the message that the tasks are really hard and awards like money loose their luster over time unless the parents keep upping the ante. And to do that over a period of time is not sustainable. As for asking kids to finish their entire plates of food, she said it has good intentions but forcing certain foods on to kids makes them know those foods are "yucky." In the long run, teaching them healthy eating options is a much better option.

We've talked a lot about giving cell phones to children on the show, debating the age that's appropriate for something like that. McCready said there is no magic age, it's really just when the child is ready for it. She encourages parents to ask themselves these questions first: Do they actually need it? Do they feel like they're responsible enough? Are you committed to doing the training on how to use a cell phone safely? Can you follow through on said boundaries? If parents feel they can do all of these things then those children are probably ok to have a phone.

On more intimate matters, McCready discussed spanking in house holds. She admitted that she knows family philosophies differ, but she said there is always a more effective option than spanking. She said a growing body of research shows kids who experienced just spanking as a kid makes them more aggressive. Those kids see hitting another being is ok and that a powerful person can hit a less powerful person. She encourages families to find other methods to discipline children. As for the "Birds & Bees" talk, she told parents to talk about it early and talk about it often. 10-years-old is the new 16-years-old, meaning kids are going through puberty earlier more than ever before so discussing this topic is incredibly important earlier than parents think.


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