Bottom smacker by Royal appointment
I was very interested to read your story Aunty Pat’s smackings, as I was subject to a very similar arrangement whe… more
Listening to punishment
Back in the early 1960s, I worked in an English primary school as its secretary. The headmistress, Miss Brown [name chan… more
My poor lil’ peach
Every May, the peaches start to come in over Georgia in the southern US – in fact, it’s often called the Peach State… more
The slipper for girls
When I was a girl, corporal punishment for unruly children was an accepted norm of family life. If you misbehaved, you go… more
Correction That Corrects: Chapter IV
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
“Often, foods and poisons are classed under one heading.”… more
The bare facts of childhood
Of my parents, Mum was definitely the biggest spanker, although I did get a few from my father as well. She only ever smack… more
The magazine
The last smacking of my childhood was also by far the most memorable – and it all started behind the village cricket pavil… more
Big boys’ punishments
I don’t believe I was especially naughty as a child – at least, no more than many other 10-year-old boys of my acqua… more
Correction That Corrects: Chapter III
PUNISHMENT
“Not kindness but its counterfeit, habitually permits misconduct to go unpunished.”… more
My sister’s bare bottom
I was brought up in what was then West Germany during the 1970s. Both myself and my older sister were regularly spanked wh… more
Staying at Aunt Lindy’s
I was 12 when I was sent to spend part of the summer at my uncle and aunt’s house in rural Queensland, Australia. I wa… more
Uncomfortable home truths
One of my granny’s neighbours, the McKinnon family, were widely rumoured to be frequent smackers. On our regula… more
Correction That Corrects: Chapter II
THE CAUSE
“All grief is traceable, directly or indirectly, to neglect of duty.”… more
A different kind of sting
My paternal grandmother was a formidable woman who had worked through the Second World War as a nurse. After the war, she … more
First time for the twins
Up until the age of three, my twins – son Archie and daughter Amie – had never had what you might call a proper spanking. The… more
Correction That Corrects: Chapter I
THE TRUTH
“The truth may hurt, but ignoring the truth may work permanent injury.”… more
Saving my own skin
When I was around six years old, I discovered that I had an amazing power: the power to get my little sister into big troubl… more
Correction That Corrects: Foreword
Correction That Corrects is a book on ‘child training’ authored by American Mariam Fredrick in 1925. It i… more
The traits of a strict mother
What traits must a strict mother cultivate? This is an important question and one I feel is often overlooked. The answer … more
Two types of spanking
My mother seemed to have two types of smackings – unexpected and erratic, or else drawn out and methodical.
With the firs… more
From child to mum, part II
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 a… more
From milk to raspberry
Having told you about one of my own worst smackings, I thought I would share the story of one of the sorest bums ever … more
From child to mum, part I
I came across your site and have loved reading the various stories. What follows is the first part of my journey from havi… more
Correction That Corrects (audio)
In this audio file, 1920s childcare book author Mariam Fredrick discusses the exact procedure she recommends for the s… more
Doing things by the book
Maman special report
Parenting books, needless to say, have a certain fascination for us here at Maman. Largely they ar… more
Cuddling up (audio)
In this audio version of a popular story, Robert recalls staying with his Aunt Julia, witnessing her administering cor… more
At bottom (audio)
In this extract from Nancy Friday’s groundbreaking sex study My Secret Garden, one of her correspondents revea… more
Grassed up
I attended an English primary school in the early 1970s. In some ways, it was very progressive but unlike similar school… more
Channelling misbehaviour
I previously told you the story about the first time I experienced a ‘proper’ smacked bottom, when I was se… more
Mothers Talking: Debra
Debra and her husband live in the US state of Indiana. She has two daughters, Kayla and Lily, who at the time of this interv… more
His first brushing
Before my son turned eight, he was spanked most often with my hand or a wooden spoon. These weren’t light spanking… more
Mothers Talking: Beverley
Beverley lives in the north of England with her husband Graham and daughter Emily, who at the time of this interview was f… more
My first proper smacked bottom
I clearly remember my first ‘proper’ smacked bottom, which I received when I was seven. Prior to this, if I … more
A strapping from Aunt Helen
Probably the worst strapping I ever received was when I was 13 and staying with my aunt, while I was visiting the neighbou… more
Upstairs for the cane
I had a school friend – let’s call him Paul – who had a stepmother. From their very first meeting, Paul had been rese… more
Paddling my daughter
About a year after I first took the position of vice principal, I was married – and, as you might expect, children quickly … more