Fathers who were spanked as children are less likely to spank their own children than mothers who were spanked while young, according to a US study. Researchers from Ohio State University set out to see if 1990s parents followed the practices of their own mothers but found parents today were showing a lot more affection to their children, reading to them more and spanking them less. “We were surprised that mothers seem to learn a lot about the parenting role from their own mothers, but fathers don't follow their mothers as much,” said researcher Jonathan Vespa in a statement. The study of 1,133 young adult parents, whose mothers took part in a 15-year study from 1979, found significant generational changes in parenting practices. Second generation mothers who were spanked at least once a week were found to be nearly half as more likely to spank their own children compared to mothers who weren't spanked. Fathers spanked as children were less likely to spank their own children.
