Claire McCarthy, M.D., Harvard Medical School

Hi Dr. MCCarthy,
I am just tossing in my two cents in response to your an "Ask the Expert" statement you gave on IVillage.... on should one use wipes vs. gels.
At the risk that this could be misconstrued as propaganda for us...
wipes containing Alcohol gel...like the ones that Purell makes (others too as well including us) are superior to gels alone because the mechanical action of using them removes dirt and germs from your hands and they deliver a measured dose of alcohol gel each time. Too many people don't use enough alcohol gel per application. Just trying to be informative...not preaching... thanks for listening.

Hi,

I just finished reading "Better Discipline: 5 Traps to Avoid" and found it very informative with a lot of good points that I agree with, except one.
The window titled, "No Hitting" really struck a cord with me.
First off to label spanking as hitting is to misconstrue spanking as child abuse. There is a big difference between spanking and hitting. To label them as one and the same is irresponsible. Also, to say spanking is always wrong goes against your first point in the article, "Thinking that one style fits all."
I think there are times when spankings are appropriate. My brother, two sisters and I were all raised with spankings as one form of discipline. It worked very well on us. And no, we did not fear our parents. They always showed us love. This was one of their forms of punishment, and I thank them to this very day for the love and discipline that they gave us. My siblings and I are all well adjusted individuals with no violent tendencies or mental issues because of our spankings.
My wife and I are expecting our first child and spanking will be on the table as one form of discipline.

Sincerely,
Guy West
San Clemente, CA