Even though punishment doesn't work over time, parents do often find themselves using it. Why is this true?

• Punishment does seem to get an immediate change in behavior; however, over time, it can result in problems.
• Parents aren't sure what else to do in certain situations. We tend to respond quickly and emotionally - hitting, yelling and spanking are common when parents react without thinking.
• Parents fear losing authority. We fear that if we're not tough enough, our kids will run all over us.
• We haven't been taught any other way. We learned from the models set for us by our parents, just as our children are learning from us. There's nothing wrong with this, unless our parents used inappropriate punishment with us.