Mothers

One morning, as he came out of the shower, my son was startled to find me sitting cross-legged on the edge of his bed. He approached me nervously, realising by … Read more

We tend to think of the current stormy debate about spanking children as something new, but the truth is, the practice has always been a contentious issue, as can be … Read more

I think I’d be about nine when Ginny and her family moved in next door to us. She was two years younger than me, and for the first couple of … Read more

Every May, the peaches start to come in over Georgia in the southern US – in fact, it’s often called the Peach State. This happened when I was five years … Read more

When I was a girl, corporal punishment for unruly children was an accepted norm of family life. If you misbehaved, you got your bottom smacked. Children understood this, it kept … Read more

Of my parents, Mum was definitely the biggest spanker, although I did get a few from my father as well. She only ever smacked me on the bare bottom, too. … Read more

I don’t believe I was especially naughty as a child – at least, no more than many other 10-year-old boys of my acquaintance.  Unfortunately my mother – of stern, unyielding … Read more

Up until the age of three, my twins – son Archie and daughter Amie – had never had what you might call a proper spanking. They had experienced a smack … Read more

What traits must a strict mother cultivate? This is an important question and one I feel is often overlooked. The answer can obviously be varied and is certainly subjective. As … Read more

Family and friends always say that I am a copy of my mother, both in looks and nature. In fact, I inherited her beauty spot as well. Like my mum, … Read more

I came across your site and have loved reading the various stories. What follows is the first part of my journey from having had a strict maternal upbringing to being … Read more

Maman special report Parenting books, needless to say, have a certain fascination for us here at Maman. Largely they are a disappointment, as they usually have little to say about … Read more

I previously told you the story about the first time I experienced a ‘proper’ smacked bottom, when I was seven years old. That spanking came as a real shock to me … Read more

Debra and her husband live in the US state of Indiana. She has two daughters, Kayla and Lily, who at the time of this interview were aged nine and seven … Read more

Before my son turned eight, he was spanked most often with my hand or a wooden spoon. These weren’t light spankings, but they were a far cry from the tannings … Read more

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 … Read more

I had a school friend – let’s call him Paul – who had a stepmother. From their very first meeting, Paul had been resentful of the person he frequently referred … Read more

When I was a girl, I was occasionally spanked by my mother. However, it wasn’t applied that hard or often and she wasn’t that strict. I used to get away … Read more

Abby lives in a small town in Indiana, US. At the time of interview, she and her husband had three children – and she was pregnant with her fourth child. … Read more

Patricia is a preacher’s wife living in the southern United States. At the time of interview, she and her husband had five children – two boys, aged 22 and eight, … Read more

I’ve already told you about the first time my stepmom spanked me (certainly not the first time I was spanked, but definitely a whole different level), so perhaps you’d like … Read more

When I was seven, my mother died – and when I was nine, my dad remarried. My stepmom was smart, kind, funny, engaged, loving – and extremely strict. In her … Read more

Sarah is a European single mother and is mum to Emma, who at the time of this interview was eight years old. Can we start by talking about your own … Read more

One of my more memorable spankings came in seventh grade. I was struggling with my math class (pre-algebra) – Mom knew this and made sure I was doing all of … Read more

In this rather unusual contribution, our correspondent writes his story from the perspective of his younger self… Hello! My name is Ian, it’s 1972, I’m nine and a quarter and … Read more