I come from a family of four children. I have a sister who is three years older than me, a sister who is three years younger and a twin brother who is about three minutes older!
All four of us were subject to my mother’s wrath growing up, which almost always expressed itself as a spanking. All four of us were regularly spanked but there is no doubt that I am the undisputed champion for ‘most spankings received’. My twin brother used to tease me that it was because the younger twin is the evil one. Spankings were exclusively given out by my mother. My father was a truck driver and he was not often around.
There were three levels of spanking that my mother would use. If the infraction was minor or the spankee was under five, the spanking was just with the hand, bent over her knee and always on the bare bottom. If it was a mid-level infraction we got spanked with a ping-pong paddle, also bare and over her knee.
Starting at about age nine, the option of a strap was added for major infractions. I have no idea where my mother got this thing, probably the pits of hell. It was not really a belt, just a long and wide strip of leather. We would have to take everything off from the waist down, then put our hands on our knees and stick our butts out to be thrashed. The strap was to be avoided at all costs – it stung more than anything else and would leave wide red weals across our bottoms and upper thighs.
This story comes from the summer when I was nine years old. I grew up in a really nice cul de sac with lots of kids to play with. Behind the cul de sac there were some woods, and in the woods there was a little creek. And in that little creek, there was a swimming hole. We were strictly forbidden from swimming in it without adult supervision.
Anyway, one scorching hot August day, my best friend Annie and I found ourselves at the edge of the swimming hole. “Let’s go swimming,” I said. Annie looked doubtful. “We’re not allowed. Besides, we don’t have on our swimming suits.”
“I’m not going to let that stop me,” I said, as I slid my shorts and underwear down. I shook my naked butt at Annie. “Come on!” I loved skinny dipping as a kid, and still do now – in fact, I do it every chance I can.
Annie was aghast. “Oh my gosh! You are not going to swim naked? What if someone sees? What if your mom finds out?” Too late. By this point, I was completely nude and stepping into the water. “Don’t be a baby!” Annie held out for about two more minutes but the water was so cool and so refreshing that she also ended up swimming naked.
Unbeknown to us, my super annoying little sister had followed us in stealth mode. And the second she saw me get into the water, she went to tattle.
Annie and I were having a great time, not really paying attention to what was going on around us, when I heard a sound that made my blood run cold. My mother’s shriek. “What do you two think you’re doing? Get out of the water this instant! Get dressed!”
She was waiting by the edge of the pool as we got out, delivering a couple of spanks both our bare bottoms. They hurt rather more than usual because our buttocks were wet. Mom lectured us about how dangerous it was to swim unsupervised, and how reckless it was to swim naked ‘in front of God and everyone’.
That was when I made a major misjudgment, and answered back smartly: “Well, there was no-one else here and God’s already seen it all!” My mom slapped me across the mouth. “You’re already in enough trouble! If you’re smart, you’ll keep your mouth shut!”
With our clothes clinging to our wet bodies, my mother dragged us home. First stop was Annie’s house. My mother described to Annie’s horrified mom how she had found us. Annie’s mom gave her a few pops on the behind as she ordered her to her room. I knew she would get it worse once we were gone – but not as bad as I was going to get it.
When I got home, Mom told me to ‘get ready’. This meant: stop for a potty break if needed, then take off everything below the waist and stand in the corner in her bedroom.
While I was waiting in this shameful position, I heard giggling coming from the hallway. It was Emily, my aforementioned super annoying sister. “Uh oh!,” she chimed, “someone’s in trouble!”
“Shut up twerp! Get out of here.”
“I just wanted to tell you, I’m the one who told. Good luck with mom.” Then she stuck her tongue out and scampered away before mom caught her.
I was so furious. I couldn’t believe she tattled. I was going to make her pay – but I knew if I lashed out now I would just be in more trouble and Mom was already in a spanking mood.
I resumed looking at the wall and praying for a miracle: that Mom would show up with merely the ping pong paddle and not the strap. Unfortunately that day was not a day for miracles. Mom duly arrived, strap in hand.
I got lectured some more, then was told to ‘assume the position’. I put my hands on my knees and stuck my backside way out. Mom wrapped the end of the strap around her hand, took aim and let it fly.
I could not believe how bad it hurt. It was just as surprising this time as it was the first time my bottom ever felt it. Another stroke landed, and I bit my lip. I always tried not to cry – in my mind, it was how I would demonstrate I had won in my struggle with my mother. Spoiler alert – I never won.
After a third stroke, I cried out and jumped out of place. I had to get back in position quick or Mom wouldn’t have counted that one. Fortunately, I made it back in time.
Then I was given two strokes back to back. I again jumped out of position and grabbed my bottom. “Move your hands!” Mom barked. I did and got back into position.
Two more fast, consecutive strokes. By now I was a wreck, tears and snot running down my face. We always got our age in strokes with the strap so I had two more to go. Mom duly applied them, slowly and extra hard.
Finally it was mercifully over. Mom ordered me to my room. I got out of Dodge as fast as I could, dived on to my bed and cried into my pillow, my thoroughly reddened buttocks still bare in the air, trying to get some comfort from the fan above me.
After a while, my brother tiptoed into my room. He’s a real sweetheart and he always looked after his ‘little sister’. We were so comfortable with seeing each other over the years that I didn’t attempt to cover up. He comforted me for a little while, then took out a tube of aloe vera cream he had brought to cool my aching butt. I lay still and enjoyed the relief as he gently rubbed the cream into my little bare behind.
Contributor: Nina