I was about 15 years old when my mom decided I was finally old enough to no longer need a babysitter, and could stay home alone with my eight-year-old sister Meghan.
My mom left me with the instructions that any misbehaviour from Meghan should be reported to her and would result in a long hard spanking with her hairbrush when she got home. I had felt the brush a number of times growing up, so I knew this was a legitimate threat.