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8th October 2024
11:07am BST
Former actress Gemma Atkinson has been called out after admitting she pinched her son.
The mum was discussing her children and the differences between her son and daughter on Instagram on Monday.
Gemma is a mum to daughter Mia and son Thiago, whom she shares with fiancé Gorka Márquez.
The fitness influencer said she's noticing some major differences between her two children.
"Really noticing the differences in how Mia was to Thiago. It’s fun to watch. Toys are just banged or slid across the floor and the tantrums are new as Mia didn’t have them. He pretend cries and throws himself on the floor.”
Gemma continued: "I stand and watch until he realises it’s getting him nowhere and they are slowly getting shorter."
Gemma explained that she pinched her son back following an incident where he pinched his older sister.
She explained that she did it so he wouldn't do it again, but she is being called out over the move.
"He pinches when he gets frustrated. I did it back to him on Wednesday as he did it hard to Mia. He’s not done it since," she said.
There's no doubt many parents have done this to show their children it's wrong but parenting experts have called out the action.
Parenting expert Jo Studholme told MailOnline: "Pinching a child back as a form of punishment is not only ineffective but can also be harmful. It teaches children that violence is an acceptable way to resolve conflict."
Studholme also stressed that parents should try positive discipline techniques instead.
Do you agree?
