“The Big Bang Theory” actress Mayim Bialik says her children can drive her “mad,” but she doesn’t spank them.
Bialik quoted the Bible in a YouTube video where she said she doesn’t think parents should spank their children.
She refers to Proverbs 13:24: "Whoever spares the rod hates the child."
"But have you never heard of hyperbole?” she said in the “Hitting Kids” video. “Or historical context? In biblical times it was also totally a thing to throw stones at a disobedient son — so let's not use the Bible as our parenting guide for the 21st century. O.K.? Great."
Bialik’s video comes as the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement saying 94 percent of pediatricians believe that spanking does more harm than good for children.
"You can't hit your spouse, you can't hit your student, you can't hit a stranger, you can't even hit your dog, yet we have laws protecting, defending, and justifying hitting a child. It makes no sense," Bialik said.
Bialik, who has a PhD in neuroscience, is the mother of two sons. She regularly comments on parenting and other issues on her Grok Nation site. She has also written a book on parenting, Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way.
Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Frazer Harrison/Staff
Video courtesy: Mayim Bialik
