http://www.opposingviews.com/users/suzanne-venker Suzanne Venker is an author and mother of two school-age children. A former classroom teacher with an Education degree, Suzanne taught in public and private schools on the East Coast and in St. Louis, MO, where she now lives. She graduated from Boston University in 1990. Suzanne writes serious nonfiction on social and cultural issues. Her writing tends toward the provocative, or “politically incorrect” – as evident by the publication of her first book, 7 Myths of Working Mothers: Why Children and (Most) Careers Just Don’t Mix (Spence Publishing, 2004), which argues that young children and demanding careers are incompatible. Her book was listed on Human Events’ 2004 guide to Best Conservative Books and was featured in American Enterprise, Townhall.com, and National Review. (It was also blacklisted in the April 2004 edition of Glamour.) In 2007, 7 Myths became available in Europe and has been translated into several languages. Suzanne has appeared on CNN, FOX, C-Span, PAX, and EWTN -- as well as hundreds of radio shows throughout the country -- and has spoken at various women’s groups, including the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute. In 2006 Suzanne was featured in Kate O’Beirne’s Women Who Make the World Worse. (Thankfully, Suzanne is not among the list of women noted for “making the world worse.”) Her work has appeared in National Review and The Wall Street Journal. You can visit Suzanne's blog at nobullmom.blogspot.com. http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/how-should-you-discipline-your-child Disciplining your child is one of the hardest parts of being a parent. Of course you want to correct negative behaviors in the most productive way possible, but sometimes the words “military school” can sound pretty tempting. How can you be sure the way you discipline your child will produce a happy and healthy adult? Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:47:19 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/how-should-you-discipline-your-child http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/use-the-following-rules-when-disciplining-children 1) Stay calm. 2) Reward good behavior. Catch your child being good and praise him! (But do not give your child unnecessary praise, as modern culture encourages parents do – such as doing somersaults over a picture of a tree they brought home... Suzanne Venker Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:02:23 -0600 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/use-the-following-rules-when-disciplining-children http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/change-your-strategy-when-dealing-with-middle-schoolers As a former middle school teacher who worked primarily with children with behavioral issues, this is an age group dear to my heart. If there were ever a time to be clear about boundaries, it’s during these years. At the same time, children this... Suzanne Venker Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:00:40 -0600 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/change-your-strategy-when-dealing-with-middle-schoolers http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/use-behavior-charts-with-young-children Very young children can’t fathom the concept of doing something for its inherent value the way an older child can. Thus, a behavior chart works well for this age group, as it allows them to control their own behavior rather than be yelled at all... Suzanne Venker Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:00:14 -0600 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/use-behavior-charts-with-young-children http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/spanking-should-be-rare-but-it-isn-t-abuse I am not a huge proponent of spanking , but it can be effective and unavoidable -- particularly with a “difficult” child. There are children who come in to this world with a mind of their own – I know, because I was one of them – and it’s... Suzanne Venker Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:59:38 -0600 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/spanking-should-be-rare-but-it-isn-t-abuse http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/children-crave-boundaries-high-expectations The modern approach to discipline has created a nation of wishy-washy parents who are confused about how to be authoritative. Out of fear of sounding too dictatorial, parents now use the ever-popular sing-song voice when speaking to their children;... Suzanne Venker Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:58:40 -0600 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/children-crave-boundaries-high-expectations http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/baby-boomers-screwed-up-parenting What has happened to parenting with respect to discipline is a much broader problem than is being debated here. During the 1960s and 1970s, a great shift occurred as Baby Boomers challenged not just the way children were being disciplined, but the... Suzanne Venker Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:57:57 -0600 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/baby-boomers-screwed-up-parenting http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/do-working-moms-put-their-kids-at-a-disadvantage The fascination with Sarah Palin comes not only from her unexpected rise, but also from the fact that she is a mother of five, with one child under a year old. While Palin seeks the vice presidency, one of the most demanding jobs on Earth, more than 40 million American moms also balance jobs with motherhood. Do working moms have the best of both worlds, or are they potentially neglecting their children's best interests? Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:21:59 -0600 http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/do-working-moms-put-their-kids-at-a-disadvantage http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/the-question-about-whether-mothers-should-work-is-misleading To refer to mothers in terms of whether or not they should work is misleading. Poll after poll indicates that what most women prefer is to tailor their work lives around the needs of their children, rather than the other way around. Most women want... Suzanne Venker Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:38:19 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/the-question-about-whether-mothers-should-work-is-misleading http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/families-fare-better-economically-when-a-parent-stays-home There is a widely accepted myth that two-income families are a necessity today, but this is false. In fact it can actually cost to have both parents in the workforce, since the lifestyle of a two-income family – child care, commuting costs, dry... Suzanne Venker Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:38:16 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/families-fare-better-economically-when-a-parent-stays-home http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/full-time-day-care-causes-health-and-behavior-problems-in-children The longest running day care study to date is being conducted by the NICHD. It began in April 2001 and is currently tracking 1,364 children from birth to age 12. The results have been consistent: Children who spend large amounts of time in day care... Suzanne Venker Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:38:12 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/full-time-day-care-causes-health-and-behavior-problems-in-children http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/children-of-working-mothers-often-struggle-with-boundaries Ask any conscientious preschool teacher and she’ll tell you that the students who act up the most in her classroom tend to have working mothers. Indeed, discipline is a vital part of the work mothers at home do every day; consequently, working... Suzanne Venker Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:38:08 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/children-of-working-mothers-often-struggle-with-boundaries http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/childrens-emotional-development-suffers-when-mothers-are-absent According to Public Agenda, the premier nonpartisan polling agency, by an overwhelming margin -- 81% to 1% -- parents say that children who spend the day with a stay-at-home parent are more likely to get the affection and attention they deserve. A... Suzanne Venker Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:38:04 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/childrens-emotional-development-suffers-when-mothers-are-absent http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/childrens-physical-health-suffers-when-mothers-are-absent Children’s sleep is severely compromised when both parents work outside the home. Working mothers are not available during the day to see that their children stay on a healthy sleep schedule, and many wake their children up in the morning in order... Suzanne Venker Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:38:00 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/childrens-physical-health-suffers-when-mothers-are-absent