The new car
My brother Jeff and I are only 13 months apart and we were raised almost like twins. We had only each other for the first fiv… more
Caught shoplifting
Shortly before I turned 14, I convinced my mother that I was too old to go to camp anymore. My mom had taken on a part-time jo… more
Mothers Talking – Laura
Laura lives in Midwest America with her husband. At the time of interviewing her, her two sons were aged 12 and eight resp… more
Do you want a smacked bum?
Many years ago, much to the annoyance of my mother, I used to run upstairs to my bedroom most evenings after school to chan… more
The hated coat
I was in the second year of senior school, so I’d be 12. I needed a new winter coat and one day, when I got home from my l… more
Wiffle ball
We were not allowed to play baseball in our yard, for the windows of the house were made of leaded glass, partitioned in di… more
Mothers talking: Cordelia
Cordelia is a single UK mother. She has just the one son, Jack, who at the time of our original correspondence was around 1… more
Red as a London bus
The summer between 9th and 10th grade, we went as a family – mom, dad, me and my younger sister and two younger brothers – to … more
On the subject of spanking
When I was 16 years old, Mom surprised me with my first spanking from her in three years. It came about as a result of a spank… more
Last spanking at home
My parents came of age in the 1960s and both could accurately be described as Kennedy Democrats. My mom was a classroom te… more
Smackings at the childminder’s
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 afte… more
Spanked on our periods
When I was 13, I went for a sleepover at the house of my best friend, Cindy. She had a rather annoying little brother, named … more
A new coat
When I was seven and Jeff was six, mother had bought us new coats for Easter and we were invited to tea on Easter afternoon a… more
Slipperings for stealing
When I was nine and my brother six, we were caught stealing sweets from our local store. The shopkeeper knew our mother we… more
The missing slipper
I grew up during the in France during the 1970s, and was raised by my single mother. I was an energetic child, whom she love… more
Mom’s rituals
I am a 40-year-old woman who lives in Buffalo, NY, where I grew up. I am the oldest of four. I have a sister two years younger … more
In support of Mr Cane
The following story and picture originally appeared on a Singapore-based blog. In it, the writer reveals how she bough… more
The carriage house
When I was nine, I fell in love with horses, as a great many girls do. I started to draw their heads all over my notebooks and … more
The piano tuner
Her grand piano was our mother’s pride and joy – and of course it needed tuning regularly. This is the story of how t… more
The sailboat
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 so… more
The tricycle
My mother took me to visit the daughter of one of her friends. We were the same age. Sarah and I liked each other right away a… more
The two smells
There can’t be many adolescent boys who haven’t at least thought about sniffing their mum’s dirty … more
After class
When I was eight, I was in Miss Bateman’s class. She was quite a young teacher (although she seemed ancient to us ch… more
A trip to Boston
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 … more
In fifth grade
When I was 10, I thought all physical discipline would end at our private school, at least for girls. We generally got som… more
Slippery slope
When I was a boy, my parents and I often went to stay with their closest friends (each of the husbands had been the other… more
The candy bar
I was all dressed for Sunday School with my younger brother Jeff. My father gave us each a quarter for the collection bask… more
How strict are yours?
With the decline in corporal punishment at home, I don’t know whether kids still have this conversation but back … more
Telephone interruption
This is a memory from when I was four. My mother was talking on the telephone with a friend. She was in the upstairs telepho… more
A slip of the tongue
I was enrolled in a small private day school in New England in the 40s, when physical discipline was fairly common, or at l… more
Mothers Talking: Belinda
Belinda lives in New Zealand and describes herself as a ‘Bible-believing Catholic’. At the time of the in… more
Caught smoking
I grew up in Ohio in the 80s and by the age of 11, my best friend and I had grown curious about being cool like our fathers, bot… more
Tommy in trouble
Firstly, I have to admit that I’ve been fascinated by spanking from an early age. I wasn’t an especially na… more
The Nanny Smacker
My mum was a big believer in corporal punishment, so not surprisingly my sister and I were often across her knee, with our … more
The belt from Momma
I grew up in a big African-American family (three daughters, two sons) in Alabama, US, in the early 1980s, and spankings … more