By the time I was growing up my mother was using the same principles she’d learned, but a more modern approach: a ping-pong paddle. (As the oldest child, I became quite familiar with it.)
Another installment excerpted from one of Mom’s letters:
A common method of punishment in my family was to be made to stand in a corner and face the wall. What probably was only minutes seemed like hours.
I remember one day my dad was talking to a visitor. I have no idea what I had done but I was told to go to the corner and face the wall. He apparently forgot about me. I knew better than to leave or make any sound. Daddy finally noticed me and with the man still there, ordered me into another room. SUCH HUMILIATION. I will never forget it.
In that era it really was true that CHILDREN WERE TO BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD.
Another form of punishment was to sit in a chair and NOT TALK for a required length of time. That was worse than standing in the corner.
I like to talk. But my mother would say BE STILL. It was never BE QUIET or DON’T TALK but BE STILL. If she was sewing, she said it with pins in her mouth. BEING STILL is still one of the hardest things for me to do!
Another form of punishment was to be switched on bare legs, especially when you had to cut your own switch!
Even though I knew my boundaries, one time I wandered too far from home. When my mother came looking for me she brought a knife. When she found me she told me to cut my own switch. I cut a very small one, but that wouldn’t do. I had to cut a much bigger one which my mother used to memorable effect. I went howling all the way home. You may be sure I never wandered beyond my boundaries again!
I guess these lessons have stood me in good stead, enabling me to learn early the consequences of disobedience. Better to have switched legs than undisciplined rebellion.
I remember a newspaper columnist a long time ago who often wrote: THE BULK OF THE UNSPANKED* GENERATION HAS STILL TO GROW UP AND GOD HELP US WHEN IT DOES.
I guess that is the reason I still firmly believe in the old adage: SPARE THE ROD AND SPOIL THE CHILD. However, if I had it to do over I would do a lot of parenting differently. Too bad we can’t get experience in that before we actually have to do it.
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* UNSPANKED is the word Mom used. My computer spell checker, however, didn’t recognize it. Too modern.
Our Lives Together
Its About Life
8:56 am
This was funny to read. I too wonder about the un-spanked generation and the aftermath.
Thank you Hyatt,
Pastor Adam Barton
Akron, Ohio
ps. imagine having to carry your own cross! Wow.
9:10 am
I took remember the switch… it was a small brittle branch with 2-3 little leaves on the end of it. Ugh. Can’t say I love that memory, but thanks for the posting.
9:59 am
I have seen a lot of tails wagging the dog due to the fact that spanking is not p.c. today.
One of my most vivid memories of spanking was in a high school history class when a young man raised his hand to ask a question and the teacher saw a lot of writing on his arm (test info), boy did that kid get the paddle hard in front of all of us–the one with lots of holes in it. It was a different day not that long ago.
10:50 am
Hyatt,
I think they have grown up.
Great message on Sunday. It really got to the heart of the matter!
11:32 am
Rumor had it, at my elementary school, that the principal had a spanking machine in his office, complete with a hand crank. When I got in trouble for lighting matches on the playground at recess, I was sent directly to the office, paralyzed with fear. It turned out, the principal gave me a stern talk, which was plenty for me at the time. All I saw was an early Xerox copier … with a hand crank.
12:55 pm
Great story and great input from everyone. So interesting. I feel old but the others must be older because in my day, 1960’s, they did not allow spankings or punishment like the ones described in our schools here in Northern California. I do remember the ping pong paddle. I did not get very many spankings because all you had to do was look at me sideways and I got the message. I was and still am very sensitive. But question I have for you Hyatt is, did you and Anne spank your children? When I read all the parenting books when raising my children, they said to give the children time outs. I did that. We did not spank our 3 children. Blessings! Lisa
2:37 pm
Spare the rod???? I do not think a few spankings that were administered to us kids bent out personalities or did psychological damage as I think we all turned out well. But we did not get spankings in school and that was beginning in the mid 1940’s.
I did not have kids to spank, but had to look after 3 younger brothers who got spanked by me – not the best scenario, but they grew up good.
Love your musings on whatever topic.
8:26 pm
Very thought provoking…… Love your musings.
8:33 pm
Oh yes, the 50’s for me, and the thin green nursery sticks they still use for staking plants today!
Then, there was Dad’s belt. And Dad, standing in the middle of the hallway ordering you to get to your room. You knew what would happen as you had to walk past him! The Swat!
Why me? I know it was all my Brother’s fault! ;-)
2:20 pm
Hyatt,
As kids when we misbehaved, we also had to go cut off our own long branch from my Grandma’s weeping willow tree back in Cleveland. It had to be as long as we were tall when we were 8-10 years old. If we tried to give her a short one it would mean an extra strike on the legs. We knew better. We removed the leaves and then handed the switch to her and then I learned to Irish step dance like Michael Flatley. As kids we knew when we deserved the switch and after the pain subsided we still loved and feared our grandma. Back in Catholic grade school the nuns would smack us right across the face when we were misbehaving and we deserved it. I would never go home and tell my parents that Sister Mary Holy water beat the dirt out of me today, otherwise i would get the leather belt which was far worse. Thanks for stirring up some Great memories!
Good laughs. Thanks