I think I was spanked once, by an aunt, after I threw some cousin down the porch stairs (there were 4 steps and grass at the bottom, I should add, he was just a crybaby) but I must have been 5 or 6, too young to remember. It would have just been a couple swats with the bare hand, if similar punishments in my family were anything to go by. My own parents were not spankers with me, although they certainly spanked my older siblings when they were younger - there are 7 of us, and a 7-year gap between me and the next-youngest. I think they realized it didn’t change anything. Plus I was generally a studious, well-behaved angel as a kid.
I was caned in school, until corporal punishment was abolished in my school system around '86. Only ever as collective punishment for the whole class being unruly or somesuch.
Mom was a small woman, so she reached for the belt or a switch when she got frustrated training two boys. I got a lot of licks over the years, standing up, laying on the bed, dancing around the room while mom cracked the belt on thin air. Never did any damage but it was painful and embarrassing. I was an extremely mild mannered kid. Never, ever got in trouble at school or caused trouble. All my punishment was for general laziness, like not cleaning my room properly, or bad grades.
Dad as always the threat that never happened. His huge hands could have killed us in one swat but fortunately he never had the heart to actually hit us. His anger was scary enough.
Luckily my own child has been able to understand verbal commands (or, like dogs, she follows the tone of voice) since very early. After that I have lost it a few times, but my reaction has been more like wanting to bang my head on the walls – they’re concrete, it would be a bad idea – rather than hurt her.
I understand now how frustrated/overworked my mom was. Unfortunately we had to pay for it in ways we did not deserve. Her own mom would have landed in prison if she had done now to her kids what she did back in the 40s/50s, some of the punishment would have landed her a job with the Spanish Inquisition. I am glad that my mom never went there, so I guess in her own way she saw it as an improvement – which it was!
Born in 43
If I had not had some form of corporal punishment at certain times I would not be alive.
Some, well many wish that I had not survived so I guess my parents keeping me alive was a mistake. Seems you all do also because I spanked my children time to time. I guess they are broken now and are mistreating their children physically or mentally.
*waiting for SWAT to break down the door so DHS can get in… *
My Dad was very strong–he once broke a horseshoe in two with his bare hands. And he never hesitated to use his belt on my brother or me. But he never used his bare hands. Mom rarely got physical. Her crying was enough.
My mom spanked me a few times when I was little. My grandfather though, he backhanded me, pulled me by my ear, and once slapped me from the car to the house because he said I slammed the door too hard. He kicked me a few times too. I did NOT deserve this. Honestly I don’t think any child deserves to be hit. Punished, yes. But not by hitting.
