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Joy

Man captures magical scenes of acorn characters and the wildlife that stumbles upon them

David Bird has created over 100 "Becorns," each with their own name and personality.

acorn creatures interacting with wildlife
David M. Bird/Facebook

David Bird's "Becorn" scenes are like something out of a fairy tale.

No matter how old we get, there's a part of us that revels in the magical wonder of childhood. One toy designer-turned-acorn artist has tapped straight into that wonder with the worlds he creates for his "Becorns" and the creatures who stumble upon them.

Becorns are David Bird's name for the tiny characters he creates out of acorns and sticks. He has made over 100 of them, all with different personalities and names (such as Bing, Cooper, Big Boone and Vildegarde), and they are absolutely precious.

Meet Dink, for instance:


Dink may be having a solo moment of awe here, but Becorns aren't usually on their own when Bird captures them in photos. After setting up a scene and waiting patiently, Bird might catch one of his Becorn friends examining an insect, bathing with a bird or sparring with a squirrel.


And the end result is something straight out of a fairy tale.


"Kind of the essence of Becorns is this wonder about the natural world and sort of experiencing nature and the wonder of nature in kind of a pure way," Bird told PBS. "And a lot of people have said, 'I haven't felt that since I was a kid.'"

"There's a wide variety of personalities in the Becorn world," he shared. "They tend to be gentle, they're almost always curious and up to something. There are warriors that are defending against squirrels. They definitely are nurturers—they feed the wildlife and care for them."

The idea for creating Becorns came to Bird when he was sweeping debris off his mom's driveway and saw the acorns and sticks scattered on the ground. Bird had worked as a toy designer at LEGO in Denmark for almost five years and his work on Bionicles served as the foundation for piecing together his Becorn friends.

"I kind of realized,—Oh my God, everything I did at LEGO I can do with these sticks and acorns and kind of create a whole world with them," he told PBS.

And that's exactly what he's done.

Bird sells prints of his photographs on his website and gallery shows and he shares them on social media as well. He recently shared a video montage of his favorite Becorn scenes from 2022.

"People love Becorns because on the one hand, it's all so familiar, like we all know acorns and sticks and chipmunks in our backyard, and we see it all the time," Bird told CBS. "But on the other hand, it seems like this whole other world."

Watch Bird share his process for creating a Becorn scene with CBS Sunday Morning:

Find more Becorn delights on Bird's website here, and follow him on Facebook or Instagram.

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New study shows spanking hurts kids' mental health and is less effective at teaching lessons

Why is it wrong to hit an adult or an animal but OK to spank a child?

Photo by Kat J on Unsplash

Yet another study shows that spanking isn't good for kids.

Whether to spank your child or not is one of the oldest debates among parents. Many live by the age-old wisdom that to “spare the rod” is to “spoil the child,” while others believe it’s wrong to resort to violence to punish a child when so many alternatives exist.

It also begs the question: If it's wrong to hit your spouse or pet, why is it acceptable to hit a defenseless child?

The 2021 American Family Study found that support for spanking has declined in the U.S. over the past few years. In 2015, 54% either somewhat or strongly agreed with the practice, but that number dropped to 47% in 2021. Thirty-five percent of respondents disagree with the practice and 18% neither agree nor disagree.

A new research study from the Parent and Family Research Alliance in Australia led by Professor Sophie Havighurst and Professor Daryl Higgins from Australian Catholic University makes a strong case that people should stop using corporal punishment to discipline their kids. The study “Corporal punishment of children in Australia: The evidence-based case for legislative reform” analyzed countless studies on the topic and found spanking ineffective and harmful.

The study was published to urge lawmakers to make corporal punishment in Australia illegal. Sixty-five states across the world have made corporal punishment illegal, protecting 14% of the world’s children.

The study defined corporal punishment of children as using physical force to cause pain, but not injury, to correct or control a child’s behavior.

The most startling meta-analysis published in the study found that "only 1 out of 111 statistically significant effect sizes was associated with a link between 'spanking' and a positive child outcome," while 110 were found to be associated with adverse outcomes.

The one positive outcome was in a 1972 study of children of the U.S. military living in West Germany that found those spanked showed less amphetamine and opiate use as adults.

However, the remaining 110 significant results found that spanking had adverse effects, including: “reducing trust and connection with those they are closest to, lower self-esteem, more internalizing and externalizing behavior problems including aggression, mental health difficulties, and increased risk for later substance abuse, antisocial behavior, and violence.”

A meta-analysis found that when children are spanked, they are less likely to internalize the moral implications of the behaviors that led them to be disciplined. It also found that non-physical discipline was more effective at teaching “alternative behaviors,” “developing a child’s conscience,” and advancing their “emotional development.”

Another meta-analysis cited in the story found that corporal punishment in childhood was associated with mental health problems, low self-esteem and antisocial behavior.

In the end, the studies show that corporal punishment is counter-productive when it comes to raising healthy, happy children. But it will take much more than a study to get people to reconsider their views of corporal punishment because they are deeply rooted in many cultural traditions.

Looking for some non-physical alternatives to discipline your child? Here’s a great place to start from WebMD.