Good parenting or bad parenting is something which is hard to define when rearing a child or children. What parents should be concentrating on is effective parenting.

However what works for one family may not necessarily work for other, because culture and social economic factors also play a part in an effective parenting strategy.

It can be difficult, especially if you are a first-time parent because invariably you will face unknown situations. Sometimes parenting books and magazines don't help because you can't seem to remember just how to deal with the issue as it was dealt with in the magazine, and of course no two situations are identical.

Usually it is discipline that will cause the biggest dispute between parents. Smack, or not to smack, (and in some countries it is actually illegal to do so whether you agree with it or no), can be an emotive issue. Some parents adopt the attitude, " it didn't do me any harm and kept me on the straight and narrow", while others believe it is a hindrance to effective parenting because it teaches physical violence.

There are arguments for and against including the Biblical argument of spare the rod and ruin the child. My own personal opinion is that people should look carefully at systems of behavior that have worked for generations before rushing to change things, especially if there are two opposing views that have worked well for a period of time, and the factors of culture and economic conditions must be carefully considered before a decision is made.

To the best of my knowledge there is actually no concrete information as to long term detrimental effects of spanking, and I am talking about spanking, not a hammering or thrashing or caning as some children were known to have received.