Warmbotty

I first met Rosie in reception class at school and we stayed best friends throughout our school years, although we lost touch when we both went to different universities and … Read more

In this audio version of a popular Maman story, Marcus recalls the first time his mother required him to bend over to receive six of the best with her cane … Read more

I didn’t see a whole lot of Aunt Kate, my dad’s sister, during my childhood, as she and my uncle lived a whole state away from us. However, when I … Read more

It was a chilly day in early autumn, and my dad was clearing away a huge quantity of leaves which had dropped on our garden from the trees which lined … Read more

Editor’s Note: Back in the days of the original Maman, I wrote a story about two girls sharing a flat. While this was fiction, the story was actually based on … Read more

One of the more notable things about my childhood was that my best friend Mark and I shared the same surname. It wasn’t that remarkable, I guess, as it was … Read more

“Sincerity gives wings to power.” From the Foreword to this, the Concluding Word, the author, by narrating her experience and citing examples, has endeavored to show the crying need of … Read more

Phyllis is a mother-of-two and grandmother of five from Des Moines, Iowa. At the time of the interview, her grandchildren were aged between two and nine years old. What makes … Read more

TO THE MARRIAGEABLE GIRL “Children are what the mothers are.”

THE GOVERNESS “A faithful governess plays the role of a true mother.”

I suspect that like a lot of parents in the 1990s, I did my utmost to avoid direct confrontation with my daughter, let alone get to the thorny issue of … Read more

In spite of her extreme strictness and intolerance in most other matters, one thing that mum never smacked us for was bedwetting, or indeed toilet accidents in the daytime – … Read more

I guess there aren’t many kids these days who live in fear of getting their bottom walloped when report day rolls around, but back in my schooldays, many of us … Read more

THE OLDER CHILD “Uproot not the neglected flower; rather, care for it more diligently.” 

A child who has just been spanked by mother will nevertheless instinctively seek comfort in her arms once the chastisement is over. This anonymous contributor’s mother took this comfort to … Read more

DIFFICULTIES AND OBJECTIONS “Difficulties give way to diligence. Objections are often traceable to ignorance of facts.”

When I was a child, my mum was good friends with a lady called Mrs Leese – I think they had worked together before they both left to concentrate on … Read more

David recalls how his mother’s younger sister came to stay to look after the family during an illness – and how it resulted in two very well-smacked bottoms!

PERSISTENCY IN SPITE OF AUTHORATATIVE DECISION. Perseverance and determination are very desirable qualities in the child as well as in the adult, but persistency in having one’s own way regardless … Read more

Probably somewhat unusually by the 90s, Mary and I were sometimes smacked by several family members in addition to Mum and Dad. Our stepmum and stepdad, granny and Mum’s sister … Read more

In spite of him usually being far more patient and good-natured than Mum, there was one area where our father’s tolerance was surprisingly lower – bath time.  Being a hard … Read more

From around the age of seven to around 12 years old, I had the same girl babysit me when my parents needed to go out and leave me. Looking back … Read more