The Art of Discipline: v. 1: A Pictorial History of the Smacked Bottom (The Art of Discipline: A Pictorial History of the Smacked Bottom)

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Mother looked very stern. “Mark, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt this time – but I tell you this: next time you hit your little sister, I’m going to pull down your trousers and pants, put you over my knee and thrash you within an inch of your life with the hairbrush. Do you understand me?”

The sobbing didn’t as the heat sank in, and pain exploded, she just wailed and wailed.”Now up you get… and straight to bed young lady, AND stay there… Once you have stopped crying I don’t want to hear another peep out of you…do you hear? Or you will be going over my knee again… Okay it’s done!” At that, Katie ran out into the garden to tell Mother and to show her the mark on her arm. Mother came in and asked me why had I hit my sister. I thought I could worm my way out of this tight corner – and even if not, the consequences would not be that bad either way as I was nearly 15. Hannah lay down crying on her bed and her dad looked at me. “It’s your turn now, Sarah. Come here.” I did so, very reluctantly. “Because you are the one who actually broke the glass, you are going to get 12 spanks,” he told me, then firmly placed me across his knee. The incident happened at a private school I attended, which took both boys and girls. The year was 1967, and everyone in that class would have been seven or eight years old at the time. The leaving of school behind her and the journey home was sullen. The man in the bowler hat frowned at her as if he knew. The walk from the bus stop to her lovely cottage was heavy and slow. Two of Mummy’s friends saw her and nudged each other. Was that a snigger?I remember this from childhood as a quaint little story, even quite amusing in places. Corporal punishment was merely a consequence of continually getting it wrong. It didn't strike me as unfair. But can you imagine a writer trying to get that published today?

Karen got out and some involuntary action told her to stand to attention. Anything good right now, might stop the severity of what was to come. My dad has really bad knees and can barely make it up the stairs. I'm thinking of buying a stair lift. Does anyone know how much a stair lift costs and where to buy one?Well, it wouldn't be punishment if it didn't make you uncomfortable in some way. Punishment *hurts*, and people don't like it - that's what makes it punishment. If something doesn't hurt or people don't mind having it, it's not punishment, and is unlikely to have much deterrent value. Mother looked grim. “Well, it was certainly one of you, wasn’t it? I’m going to count to three and if the person who did this is not stood in front of me with their hand up, you’re all in for it!’” The count to three seemed to go on for ages – we all looked worried and nervous as to what would happen next. Can we deal with the 'dumping' issue first? He could hardly have told you any more clearly that the relationship is over. Barring some surprising change of mind by him, I'm afraid that is it. Classical conditioning is a type of behaviourism that falls within this area, and acts an automatic response to prior learning – i.e. the spanking can be linked to something you’ve experienced in the past.

Karen was on her tummy. She was sniffing now, not crying, and trying to understand the lovely feeling she has in her most intimate area, as she gently pushes up and down on the bed, her bright red bobbing up and down, which she can see, in the mirror, if she looks over. Which of course she does… Hearing such words spoken, with such intimate detail and in front of my sister, was mortifying. However, I had little choice but to bow my head and obediently, quietly answer ‘yes’. I made myself scarce. Mummy noticed, and the other W.I.Women noticed. Not only noticed, but mentioned it, in a subtle way. “Your Karen is making a fine young lady, she’ll certainly turns some heads one day!”The cane was given with the child bending over a chair, hands on the seat. I had a classroom chair which I kept in the far corner of my office for the purpose. This was the right height for the child to bend over so their bottom was in the right position. He opened the door and sat down on a stool that happened to be in the room. He said both he and Hannah’s mom were very disappointed by our disobedience. Furthermore, he added, since we didn’t listen and had broken the glass, we were both going to get our bottoms well spanked. He has now dumped me and has not explained why – just that he is better off on his own. I am so confused.