Do you follow parenting advice?

Two announcements about smacking and toddlers' TV habits have put a spotlight on parenting skills and the impact on their children. What makes a good parent?

The deputy head of the Council of Europe, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, said a ban on physical chastisement would improve parenting skills. Smacking is currently allowed for parents in the UK for the purposes of "reasonable" punishment.
Meanwhile, a study found that children who watched too much TV as toddlers have a higher possibility of doing badly at school and have poor health at the age of 10. Dr Linda Pagani, who supervised the study, said that parents should "limit the exposure and encourage other one-to-one language-enhancing activities that centre on talk at mealtime, bathtime, shared reading and imaginative play."
How can parenting skills be improved? Should parents follow the advice of academics and government agencies? How has parenting changed from generation to generation?

It would depend on what the advice was to be honest. I've given both my children a slight smack when they've done something really naughty and they've both watched plenty of tv and none of them have suffered because of it. They've both turned out to be well adjusted and intelligent people. As for them doing badly in school if they watch too much tv, obviously not in their case, Thomas is getting ready to sit his GCSE's next year and his work in school this year has his teachers predicitng he'll pass them all with at least a grade C and most of them even higher.

I think parenting should be down to the individual parents. We're the ones who know how own children and know what does and doesnt work with them. I dont see a problem with a smac to the hand or bottom to discipline them, as long as thats all it is and not going really mad at them and beating them as some people seem to do

I do on some things. I've never spanked (I guess in the UK you refer to it as smacking) Aidan, because I was never spanked. I guess I'm just not sure how physical punishment has any benefit. I remember getting hour long lectures from my dad and just wishing he'd spank me and get it over with and then I'd be on my best behavoiur just to avoid the lectures.That being said, there's been times I've been so angry at Aidan that I just wanted to hit him. But that would just teach him that hitting is ok if you are angry. I guess it just comes down to me not being comfortable with spanking my child. I have nothing against those that do, and will even admit some benefit to it when it is done as a deterrent to bad behaviour, akin to spraying a cat with water to teach it to stay off the table

As for the TV, there are many programs these days aimed at toddlers that actually increase their love of learning and teach them problem solving skills (although toddlers are naturally better at that than adults, thinking back to how many times I said 'now how in the hell did you do that') as well as practical language skills. As a child I was only allowed 1 hour of tv per weekday and 2 hrs on Saturdays. My two youngest sisters, however, have had pretty much free reign over the remote control since they were born and they both do as well in school as I did, and better than my brother, who had the same tv rules I did.

Well.... Im not sure, I read all what is said on child care and child upbringing and then I make my own mind up on what I want to follow or if I want to use parts of the advice and add my own ways to it.

I have smacked/tapped the back of my children's hand when they were younger but now they are older dont need to as there is reasoning now.

Also the people who make the rules up on child rearing must get it wrong most of the time as they say one thing one year then decide the next year that it was wrong and shouldn't be done that way.

In my opinion you follow your instincts when bringing up children. A lot of trial and error applies. These so called experts don't know what they're talking about half the time. As for tv holding kids back.........tosh. My grandchildren both watch lots of tv and one was Dux of her school last year and the other is top of the class, so that pretty much blows that theory right out of the water.

the trials i liked the errors were that wasnt me never
i dont do wrong holes