Others

Surrounding our property was a large fence, with huge pudding-stone posts every few feet. In between were black square pickets with points at the top – decorative, not sharp. I … Read more

During the early 1990s, my mum had a little part-time job which helped with the bills but meant that I had to be looked after by someone else. Not having … Read more

My nanny was very strict, as you will know already if you’ve read some of my other stories. She took us to the park sometimes and she would meet other … Read more

I was four, and Nanny had promised to take me to Boston Common, where we could feed the pigeons. We would also ride the swan boats in the garden, for … Read more

At grandmother’s summer home in Maine, we were by the ocean. At the foot of the hill, down from the house, were five small beaches where we all learned to … Read more

When one lives in a house of servants, one must respect the work and turf of each person as being almost sacred. Servants are professionals, deserving all of the respect … Read more

One night, when I was 16, my aunt (she wasn’t really an aunt, but we called her Aunt Debbie) stayed with my sister and I. We were misbehaving as usual … Read more

When my sister Donna died I became guardian of her daughter, Joanne. My own mother had given very strict punishment with a belt, leaving bruises for days, and bad memories … Read more

When I was eight years old, I spent two nights at the house of my Betty, my favourite aunt. Aunt Betty didn’t have any children of her own – that … Read more

In 1974, I was 13 and spent my summer vacation with my best friend and his parents at a campsite in Bavaria. Unfortunately, after just a week, I became constipated … Read more

Nanny was very concerned with sharing. She felt that this was an extremely important part of growing up, and she stressed it with Jeff and me throughout her time with … Read more

One summer, when I was nine, I met my friend Jesse to play at her grandparents’ summer home, near that of my grandmother. Between our two properties lay a large … Read more

By the time I turned 16, I figured that I was too old to be spanked. I spent most of that summer with my aunt, who lived on a farm … Read more

About two weeks after my 17th birthday, I went to visit with my Aunt Joyce in Alabama. I was to stay with her for one month and she was instructed … Read more

When I was eight, I used to have supper with my little sister and our babysitter. One afternoon, for some reason, the sitter was really on my case, and to … Read more

This event happened when I was about four. I was being watched by Becky – she was an average size woman in her mid 20s. On this particular occasion, I … Read more

I was 10 and it was the start of the Christmas holidays. The weather was foul and I was bored because my friends weren’t able to ‘play out’ that day. … Read more

This happened quite a few years ago, probably 20. My mom and I lived with her sister and her kids after my mom was divorced, which left a house full … Read more

The following is a reader’s letter published in the UK women’s magazine Family Circle in 1977. My thanks go to Alan for sending me a copy – Ed. I sympathise … Read more

As a child, I was smacked very rarely and then only by my mother. Her method was the old standby – over the knee with trousers and underpants down, and … Read more

I’m currently 47, and when I was a teenager in the 1970s, it was the height of fashion to have long, shaggy hair – or so I thought. My misconception … Read more

My dad’s sister had two daughters, one six months older than me and the other three years older. The younger girl, Carol, and I were like peas in a pod … Read more

I grew up in the Midwest during the early 60s and corporal punishment was widely practised at the time, especially by the mothers in the neighbourhood. On more than one … Read more

I remember my grandmother well. She died when I was 14, but she was a great influence in my life, and I will never forget her. Every summer, we would … Read more