I clearly remember my first ‘proper’ smacked bottom, which I received when I was seven. Prior to this, if I had been naughty, I had received a slap on the clothed bum or the back of my leg. Even these minor admonishments usually made me cry loudly, as I hated being punished.
On the occasion I’m describing, mum had taken me to the doctor. There were some toys for children to play with in the waiting room, and I remember sneaking a small one into my pocket. Afterwards, when we were back in the car, I took the toy out and showed it to my little sister, who was four.
Mum saw us playing with it and asked what it was. I lied and told her I had found it. At that, Mum stopped the car, turned around in her seat and demanded to see the toy. She immediately informed me that she had seen it at the doctors, and she knew I had stolen it.
Mum took the toy off me and smacked the top of my leg sharply, which made me cry. She told me I was going to straight to bed when we got home, and that I was in big trouble. I rubbed my stinging leg and cried all the way home, as I hated having to go to bed early.
Once we got home, mum took me by the arm and dragged me up the stairs to my bedroom. She began to give me a big telling off, and finally said: “Stealing and lying is very naughty and will not be tolerated. It’s time you understood what a real smacked bottom feels like.”
Mum led me over to the bed and bent me over one of her legs. She lifted my dress up and gave me a hard smack on my knickers, on my right bum cheek. I remember trying to jump up and put my hand back to rub where she had smacked me, as it really stung. But she held me tight and then spanked me again, giving me about six or seven more smacks. I was crying my eyes out by now and clenching my bum to trying to escape some of the sting.
I thought for a minute that Mum had finished but then she said: “What you did today was very serious and naughty, which is why I am punishing you – to make sure you never do this again.”
I then felt Mum lowering my knickers and she then gave me a sharp smack right across both cheeks of my bare bum. I screamed and wriggled around but she held me tightly still, and slowly smacked my bare bottom another five or six times.
Mum finally pulled my knickers up and lifted me off her knee. She ordered me into my nightie, adding that I would go to bed until it was dinner time.
She left and I remember clutching my bottom and rubbing it. I was sobbing, as I had never had a proper sore bum like that before. I remember looking in my mirror and checking out how red my bottom looked.
I spent the rest of the afternoon lying on the bed. My backside continued to sting for the next 30 minutes or so before it wore off. However, I did learn my lesson and I never stole anything again.
Contributor: Elsie