“Fathers spanked as children less likely to hit own kids - StarPhoenix” plus 1 more

Fathers spanked as children less likely to hit own kids - StarPhoenix

Posted: 13 Apr 2010 09:18 AM PDT

Fathers who were spanked as children are less likely to spank their own children than mothers who were spanked while young, according to a U.S. study.

Researchers from Ohio State University set out to see if 1990s parents followed the practices of their own mothers but found parents today were showing a lot more affection to their children, reading to them more and spanking them less.

"We were surprised that mothers seem to learn a lot about the parenting role from their own mothers, but fathers don't follow their mothers as much," said researcher Jonathan Vespa in a statement.

The study of 1,133 young adult parents, whose mothers took part in a 15-year study from 1979, found significant generational changes in parenting practices.

Overall, there was a large generational shift in which the second generation of parents was much less likely to spank than their own parents.

Second generation mothers who were spanked at least once a week were found to be nearly half as more likely to spank their own children compared to mothers who weren't spanked.

Fathers spanked as children were less likely to spank their own children.

The study found only 28 percent of the second generation of fathers reported spanking their children compared to 43 percent of mothers.

"A little spanking of boys seems to deter (fathers) from spanking their own children later in life," said Vespa.

"The evidence suggests that mothers are more the disciplinarians in the family than fathers are today."

In general, the amount of affection that parents show their children has increased significantly over the generations.

Sixty percent of fathers and 73 percent of mothers in the second generation reported showing their children physical affection and praising them within the last week compared to only 40 percent of their parents openly showing affection weekly.

Reading to children had also increased markedly. Nearly three times more mothers in the second generation reported reading to their children daily compared to their own parents.

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Towson students kick their shoes off for a cause - Towerlight

Posted: 13 Apr 2010 06:05 AM PDT

Towson students kicked off their sneakers and sandals for Towson University's "One Day Without Shoes."

The national event was a collaborative effort on part of Towson's media fraternity, Lambda Kappa Tau, as well as the campus television station, WMJF.

Participants were encouraged to remove their shoes and walk around campus, whether it be for an hour, the afternoon, or the entire day. The experience aimed to mimic what it may feel like for children in third world countries who don't have access to certain resources, like shoes.

TOMS, a shoe company, which donates a pair of shoes for every pair bought, started the program. Once the company collects enough, it distributes the shoes face to face to underprivileged children in a variety of countries. The company's Web site provides links to purchasing a pair of its shoes, as well as a countdown till the next "One Day Without Shoes" day.

The two campus organizations also put together a shoeless walk, a half hour shoeless trek around various parts of campus in support of the cause.

Jena Richardson, a junior mass communication major, was one coordinator for the event.

"We started a massive Facebook event and had around 200 confirmations ... I think the most exciting part of this thing was seeing people I didn't even know wearing signs 'ask me why I'm not wearing shoes'… it's a genius idea," she said.

Richardson also expressed that the event was not for donations.

"This is more of a personal experience for us," she said. "We wanted a fun experience [that] involved the bigger picture."

For the children without footwear, evidence has linked this to Podoconiosis, a disease which causes the feet to swell to unbearable sizes and causes great pain to its victim.

"And it all started with small things, cuts, bruises. … I mean these kids walk for miles to school with no shoes. We're going to put our message out there and hope that people hear it," Richardson said.

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Kids Shoes

Tuesday, April 13, 2010