Survey: Did your parents use corporal punishment?

[Anonymous]

I was spanked when I was young, generally open hand although I think my mom used a hairbrush once. Far worse than the spanking were my mom's "freak outs" where she'd lose it and yell at me for God know what. The lesson I learned was to become really anxious and defensive whenever there was conflict in the home. I found myself "losing it" with my own kids when they were little and got scared. It took several years of therapy to show me a better way. I'd never advocate corporal punishment for children based on my own experiences.

[Anonymous]

I was spanked by my father with a belt a few times. I usually deserved it. I only really remember the one time when I didn't, got blamed for something a neighbor did but she broke something very expensive and that he needed for work and we were poor, I am sure he regretted it later.

My dad is one of the best people I know. I don't spank my own children but I don't hold it against him at all. He did a fantastic job parenting me. He brought me from dirt poor Appalachian poverty, the kind where he grew up with no shoes and farmed with mules, and gave me the tools and drive to get to the best education, and then have the kind of comfort in life he never had. We are very close. I admire him more than anyone else I can think of.

[Anonymous]

Family of seven kids. Father beat older kids with lumber they "chose". When they were caught reading in bed for example. By kid 4 no more lumber, open hand. By kid 7, me, no spanking at all. I'm 57. Oldest kids resented him and no success in life, and obese FWIW. Better results with each successive kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mid-30s, female, lived in North Arlington all my life, upper middle class. Attended Jamestown/Williamsburg/ Yorktown. My brother and I both got spanked infrequently, including a swat with a wooden spoon if our mom was REALLY mad. We both also got our mouths washed out with soap once or twice. Thinking back on it, I can't remember any of my friends who DIDN'T get spanked at least occasionally as kids.

I probably know you...Taylor/Williamsburg/Yorktown. mid-30s

PP here. You might! I actually transferred to H-B in HS and graduated from there ('96), and my brother went to Gonzaga ('97). My husband went to W-L ('95). We live in Fairfax now but we're considering moving back to Arlington in the Spring depending on the housing market...wish us luck

[Anonymous]

24. Southern (Texas).

Spanked with hand, belt, switch, wooden spoon.

Had my mouth washed out once, but vomited and never happened again. Mostly I would have to go into the bathroom and spit into the toilet for a certain number of times.


I think I had good parents, but were both raised in a certain way and thought they were doing what was right.

I am very adamantly against corporal punishment. I feel like it severed by relationship with my father. Lots of better ways to do things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:24. Southern (Texas).

Spanked with hand, belt, switch, wooden spoon.

Had my mouth washed out once, but vomited and never happened again. Mostly I would have to go into the bathroom and spit into the toilet for a certain number of times.


I think I had good parents, but were both raised in a certain way and thought they were doing what was right.

I am very adamantly against corporal punishment. I feel like it severed by relationship with my father. Lots of better ways to do things.

Also should add I wasn't spanked too often, mostly it was a threat. I think I was spanked most often ages five to eight. I remember having to go out to the tree in my back yard and pick a switch of the tree. I also remember putting on my sisters pull-ups to soften the blow.

Only "beaten" once. I was about 11, and cut up the interior of my dads truck with a switchblade. I really think I deserved that one.

[Anonymous]

Yup. My parents used to keep dowel rods in their cars, at home, and my mom had one in her purse, and we were spanked for every little infraction. I remember one episode that lasted at least an hour when my brother was three or four...he was crying over something and my father would tell him to stop. If he didn't, he pulled over and spanked him. And then started driving again. Every time my brother started crying again, my father would stop the car, spank my brother and continue on.

It was an extremely common occurrence in our house.

[Anonymous]

39, grew up in New England until I was a teenager, then moved to the west coast (parent's job.)

Spanked, smacked (hard enough that it broke a front tooth and I have a fake one now), choked, punched, one of my brothers was kicked hard in the back thigh and it left a large bruise....oh yeah, mouth washed out with soap too--but that was mild compared to everything else.

[Anonymous]

42, frequently spanked with belts, wooden spoons, and open hands. But I was definitely an insolent, willfully disobedient, and deliberately destructive child (yeah, another victim of the divorce-industrial complex).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:42, frequently spanked with belts, wooden spoons, and open hands. But I was definitely an insolent, willfully disobedient, and deliberately destructive child (yeah, another victim of the divorce-industrial complex).

I'd replace the word "But" with "Therefore", at least based on my experience as a teacher.

[Anonymous]

45, grew up in D.C. Suburb, youngest of four. We all were spanked occasionally, mostly by our mom. She used a wooden spoon or her Dr. Scholl's sandal, lol...we still laugh about how she hopped around on one foot reaching for her sandal to swat at us, so clearly we don't bear scars.

I have four kids of my own--28, 20, 20, 16. I've never spanked, but one time my DH smacked our oldest on the mouth when she was 16 or so after she cursed at him. She still brings it up, but I don't fault my DH. All four are kind and well-behaved, but I was very firm with rules and punishments other than spanking.