I come from a fairly traditional family background in Singapore, and have lived here all my life. Although some more ‘progressive’ attitudes to parenting are beginning to seep into our society, when it comes to the discipline of children it’s the old-fashioned wisdom that still tends to largely prevail here.
My sister Hannah and I were both raised using corporal punishment. As toddlers, we would receive a few smacks of our mother’s hand on our bare bottoms. Once we had begun school, the cane was introduced at home. We were instructed from an early age to take our punishments obediently. We would have to bare our own bottoms, then bend over the end of the sofa in our lounge while Mother applied the cane – moderately, but enough to sting, leave marks and of course produce tears and better behaviour in future.