When I was a child, I remember my father threatening to spank me. I left my Barbie dolls aside and he stood on them. He told me I would never forget again, so I screamed at the top of my lungs. A neighbor called the police; all because of the fear of a spanking. Parents should avoid spanking their children because of the physiological and psychological pain a child endures from this form of punishment. To begin with, parents should avoid spanking their children due to the physiological consequences. There is sufficient evidence to prove that spanking slows children's cognitive development (Straus, 2011). Spanked children tend to perform much worse on achievement tests than those whose parents used other forms of punishment (Straus, 2011). Due to delayed cognitive development, spanked children must spend their entire lives catching up with their counterparts who did not receive such harsh punishments and cannot enjoy a quality childhood. Hitting children can cause back problems (Hunt, 2011). Shock waves travel up the spine and cause nerve damage (Hunt, 2011). If a parent disciplined their child out of love, it would not translate into an expensive medical bill later in life. Parents who spank their children say that spanking causes their children to quickly stop the incorrect behavior. In truth, spanking only solves the problem temporarily because children do not know why the action was incorrect and so they will repeat it (Pitzer, 2011). The children also learn a new lesson; hitting someone when they can't do what they want, proving that spanking is an unorganized discipline (Pitzer, 2011). Next, parents should avoid spanking their children because it lowers their self-esteem. Children believe that middle of paper ......unt, J. (2011). Discipline your child. Retrieved November 22, 2011 from Natural Child: http://www.naturalchild.org/jan_hunt/tenreasons.htmlOppenheimer, D. (2011). To spank or not to spank. Retrieved November 22, 2011 from UT Texas: http://www.utexas.edu/know/20111/03/22/spanking/Pitzer, Ronald. (2011). What about spanking? Retrieved November 28, 2011, from the University of Michigan: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/familydevelopment/w00021.htmlStraus, M. (2005). Children should never be spanked, under any circumstances. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from Publication Pages: http://pubpages.unh.edu.as2/cp67 Children Should Never be Spanked.pdTimes, Family. (2011). Discipline: Help your children develop a sense of self-worth. Retrieved November 28, 2011 from New Mexico State University: http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/family_times/family_times_4_ENG.pdf