Was anyone else ever spanked on their birthday when you were small? I remember very clearly being put across my kindergarten teacher's lap and getting six spanks (plus "one to grow on") on my birthday in the late 1960's. I can remember the color and texture of the dress she was wearing, and I definitely remember being completely humiliated. I don't remember any one else having it happen to them, however, although I'm sure others must have.
A few years later, when I was in 4th or 5th grade, an older girl (a bully, as I recall) at my school really liked to spank people on their birthdays and she had a group of her minions hold me down while she walloped on me. It was on the playground after lunch, and I'm sure there were teachers who saw it, but none stopped the abuse. It's amazing how detailed these memories from so long ago are.
I did not perpetuate that tradition with my children, and except for reading Little House in the Big Woods, they've never heard of such things.
What other horrible things did our parents/teachers used to do to us in the bad old days?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I went to school down south in the 1st grade. This was in the 80s and they used to believe in paddling kids! When I lived with my mother, she was a believer in the belt, usually over stupid things like leaving out the ketchup or something.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
maui babe, I had completely forgotten that. On the whole, I'm glad.
Posted by brojack17 (Member # 9189) on :
I "spank" my kids on their birthday, but it is copletely a play thing. I couldn't imaging my teacher doing this infront of the whole class. We only do this during our family time.
I don't do "one to grow on", but I do do "a pinch to grow and inch".
I don't know where the tradition came from, but for me it is the same as Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy.
Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :
An older girl liked to fondle your butt? That seems like sexual abuse!
For us it's always been punches to the arm.
Posted by Satlin (Member # 1593) on :
My teachers never did anything like that, but my father used to spank me with a belt for various transgressions, mostly when I was younger. I think it was also a birthday tradition for a while, but I can't remember very well.
I think things like that have mostly disappeared, and good riddance. Today, that teacher would probably go to jail.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
When I was six years old, my parents gave me a bowl cut and dressed me in rainbow-striped Izod.
Posted by DSH (Member # 741) on :
My siblings and I always got a "birthday spanking" (complete with one to grow on AND a pinch to grow an inch). Always the highlight of our birthday celebrations.
I've carried on the tradition with my kids, and in fact, just received a birthday spanking from my 8 yo daughter on the 13th. (39 swats, I may be too old for this )
Like Brojack said, these have always been gentle swats done in fun with no public humiliation involved. I did have to keep asking my daughter to lighten up every 3 or 4 swats. She really took my birthday spanking seriously! Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
We get birthday spankings but from our peers now. I was unaware for the longest time that it was rooted in parent/child spanking and I just find that weird.
But then again, you know, so's the concept of birthday spankings in general.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
We got pinched on our birthday, not spanked. And usually by my older sisters.
And my mom washed our mouths out with soap if we swore or took the Lord's name in vain, which apparently some people now find barbaric (yeah, I'm still gonna do it if my kids ever willfully do either of those things.) She made us put Ivory soap on our TOOTHBRUSHES and scrub our mouths, which was very effective because the brush would taste like soap for about two days, and remind us when we brushed.
Of course, some people find spankings in general barbaric. In our family they were used only for willfully breaking safety rules. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing to do.
And when my mom went to high school, the rule was that all the boys took shop and all the girls took home ec, every year, for their elective. I find that pretty barbaric. (Her mom went to bat for her and she was the first girl in the history of the school to take shop. Her mom was a home ec teacher, so she successfully argued that she didn't need those classes because she learned it at home, and that it was gender discrimination to not allow her in the shop class. This was in CA, so they were a bit more progressive than schools in some parts of the country, I suppose.)
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
We were threatened with spankings from my grandpa on birthdays, but mostly it was just a goofy grandpa threat kind of thing, he never actually chased us down to do it.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
KQ I think we've established that our moms are about the same age (as I'm the same age as your brother) and mine also was the first in her high school to take shop. Well not so much shop as technical drawing, but it was in the building across the street that shop was in, and taught by a shop teacher. My mom has gone on to teach art, home ec, and english.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
My mom was born in '45, yours? It was 1960 when she broke the gender barrier at her HS.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
(Or maybe, rather, the school year of '59-'60.)
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Ok, mine's a bit younger, born in 47. I'm pretty sure she was in the shop building when JFK was shot, so 63 or before.
Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
Huh. When I was in kindergarten, birthdays meant cupcakes and ice cream for the whole class.
--j_k
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: We got pinched on our birthday, not spanked. And usually by my older sisters.
And my mom washed our mouths out with soap if we swore or took the Lord's name in vain, which apparently some people now find barbaric (yeah, I'm still gonna do it if my kids ever willfully do either of those things.) She made us put Ivory soap on our TOOTHBRUSHES and scrub our mouths, which was very effective because the brush would taste like soap for about two days, and remind us when we brushed.
Of course, some people find spankings in general barbaric. In our family they were used only for willfully breaking safety rules. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing to do.
And when my mom went to high school, the rule was that all the boys took shop and all the girls took home ec, every year, for their elective. I find that pretty barbaric. (Her mom went to bat for her and she was the first girl in the history of the school to take shop. Her mom was a home ec teacher, so she successfully argued that she didn't need those classes because she learned it at home, and that it was gender discrimination to not allow her in the shop class. This was in CA, so they were a bit more progressive than schools in some parts of the country, I suppose.)
As long as you don't use hotsauce. That's just mean. My mother told me she used hot sauce to make me stop sucking my thumb. Isn't there a less cruel way?
Also when I went to school in Alabama a teacher did that, hit kids with a yard stick. It made me happy I had missed school on my bday. But at least I got a cupcake.
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
quote:Originally posted by JonHecht: For us it's always been punches to the arm.
When I was in high school, punches to the arm were pretty popular for birthdays.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Birthday spankings?
What the hell is wrong with you people?
Posted by Eowyn-sama (Member # 11096) on :
I remember getting birthday spankings when I was little :-p I'm pretty sure it was my grandparents, and although I wasn't a huge fan of the tradition, I wasn't exactly traumatized by the experience.
Posted by Artemisia Tridentata (Member # 8746) on :
I'm probably closer to Bryerchic's Mom's age. But, our elementry school, the Janitor had a wooden paddle in his office, and malfactors were sent to him. He also had a barber chair in the office. If the teacher didn't like your haircut, he took care of that too. My high school yearbook has a picture of the first girl to take auto shop at the school. There is also a candid shot of her leaning over a fender into an engine compartment with both feet off the ground, wearing a big skirt with about 20 petticoats. All you see is petticoats and saddle shoes The caption is "a new body in the auto shop". We also had a no pants rule for the girls and girls were not allowed to walk more than three abreast in the hall. (see above reference to 20 petticoats.)
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
quote:Huh. When I was in kindergarten, birthdays meant cupcakes and ice cream for the whole class.
I wonder if there will come a day when cupcakes and ice cream for the whole class is considered barbaric....
Posted by Eowyn-sama (Member # 11096) on :
I think they've already been banned in more than a few schools. "You let my children eat something with processed sugar/animal products in it! How dare you!"
That's not really fair, 'cause it's probably more a case of teachers and parents not necessarily trusting the safety of food brought in, but it's still a sad state of affairs.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I remember getting spanked by my first-grade teacher. I came home and told my parents, who asked why I was spanked. When I told them, I got another spanking from my dad.
Posted by MandyM (Member # 8375) on :
My daughter's PreK teacher complains about cupcakes but only because the kids just lick off the icing and make big mess rather that eat the cupcakes. I don't like that she comes home with her mouth dyed blue. Will that stop me from bringing cupcakes for her birthday in January? Probably not.
I wouldn't mind a spanking on my birthday if it were given in private by the right person. Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Our elementary school principal had a paddle in his office and we were told it hadn't been used for ten years (which at six seems like forever, and would have put us back at 82). The idea of not walking more than three abreast in the hallway seems wonderful.
Posted by Artemisia Tridentata (Member # 8746) on :
Breyer, would you also be willing to sign up for the no pants rule? And, if the girls wore pants for a work day or afterschool event, they had to be zip up the side pants.
Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
quote:We also had a no pants rule for the girls and girls were not allowed to walk more than three abreast in the hall. (see above reference to 20 petticoats.)
No one should be allowed to walk three abreast in a school hallway. Or stop in the middle of the intersection. Or have a conversation with your twelve best friends when everyone else is trying to get to class. Or carry around the bundle of balloons your BFF gave you for your birthday.
--j_k, still fuming
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Two words-- Dodge Ball
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Dan_raven: Two words-- Dodge Ball
Man I loved dodge ball, it was the requisite square dancing classes in PE that scarred me for life.
"Honor your partner! DUH DUH! Honor your corner! DUH DUH! Right hand to your partner, left right and left! Now dosey doe then promenade!"
*frantic crying* = + Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
We had birthday spankings, with one to grow on and usually a pinch to grow an inch, too.
These were a part of family celebrations and I remember them as being very playful and funny. Not humiliating at all.
But at school? I don't think so. That would be weird.
Another strange birthday tradition that we had was that the birthday girl or boy had to pass under the table, from one side to the other. It was a joke that the first of the birthday spanks usually came when you bent over to get under the table, so you had to be fast.
The spanks weren't hard and neither was the pinch. It was fun.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Exactly JTK. No I wouldn't sign up for the no pants rule, though I would have the summer after I graduated from high school. I couldn't wear skirts in high school much at all because I played cello and there weren't any in style (read available at stores) that were wide enough to spread my legs that way and not show my creepy section leader a bit much.
Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
I went to kindergarten in Denver, CO and we were not allowed to wear pants to school. My mother made me wear them under my dresses because it was so cold, but I took them off when I got to school, because I was so embarrassed. We moved to California the summer between K & 1st grade and wearing pants to school was allowed in CA.
We had another birthday "tradition" that I hated, but I suspect it was less universal - in my house, you didn't "age" on your birthday until the hour you were born. I was born at 9 PM, and on my birthday, when I was all excited about being 5, I was told I wasn't going to be 5 until 9 pm so sit down and shut up (basically). My sister was born at noon and my brother around 6 am, so it wasn't a big deal for either of them, but it was a major deal for me... because I wasn't "5" until after my bedtime.
I realized other families didn't do this when I was about 10 or so. I met a girl in my girl scout troop who was born the same day as me. I asked her what time she was born (to see if I were older or younger) and she didn't know and had to ask her mother, who didn't remember exactly. I was amazed, since that was such a big deal in my family.
Again, I didn't carry on that tradition with my children. On my daughter's 18th birthday, she was teasing her cousin (my sister's son) that she was an adult and could buy cigarettes or a lottery ticket and he couldn't for 3 more months... He asked her what time she was born, because she wouldn't be 18 until then. (obviously my sister was not as traumatized by the stupid tradition as I was). Weird.
Posted by Artemisia Tridentata (Member # 8746) on :
Yes, the cello players. As a bassoonist, I always resented the principal cellist. If I missed a note, the conductor always had her play the cues. But, I'll have to admit, I did appriciate the view, if she were wearing a straight skirt. Back to barbaric practices from the past: That group of girls who hung arround with the JD's were always punching an extra hole in their ears and hanging gold rings and such from them. Of course, that practice was mostly limited to girls with hispanic surnames.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
There was a theater troupe for kids in my hometown called The Seem To Be Players, and if any children in the audience were having a birthday they would form a "birthday machine" that the kid got to pass through. One of the actors became the spanking component of the machine, but they didn't deliver an actual actual spanking. I was absolutely green with envy of the kids who got to go through the machine; somehow my birthday never aligned with one of their performances.
As for an actual barbaric practice from my past? Well...hm...my mom used a flowbee on my brother and me once. Ouch. She didn't believe us that it actually hurt until she tried it on herself. She apologized profusely, and we never saw the thing again.
[Edited for speeling]
[ October 25, 2007, 04:51 PM: Message edited by: Noemon ]
Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
I played the cello in Jr high and high school too. We were supposed to wear black skirts and white blouses to perform, so my mom bought me a very full long skirt to wear. Many of the other girls wore mini skirts, but I don't know how they kept it all together, frankly.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
I never got birthday spanks ( or any, ever for that matter, and I do think it's barbaric) but I got ear-tugs for each year " and one to grow on). My mother did wake me up at 1 AM on my birthday every year because that's what time she went into labor, I guess some would consider that barbaric!
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
In Jr High I was allowed to wear pants to perform. In high school we had black laundered chalis skirts (gauzy) and tux tops. Luckily as a freshman the mom in charge of uniforms also had a daughter that played cello, so she made sure our skirts were full enough, after that my mom was in charge. And I did have a split skirt for a while but I didn't like it that well, and when I wore it others fussed that they didn't have them (they had ordered them five years before I was in high school I was personally given a hand me down).
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
One of the fun things about being a big family was the paddle line. We didn't do it every year, but it was pretty big in the late 80's. All the kids stood straddle style and whaled around with their arms while someone crawled along between everyone's legs. I don't think there was ever more than 6 kids involved with the paddling at any point. The oddest thing was our parents never spanked us. See what happens?
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
The only really barbaric thing I recall from my childhood was the annual throwing-the-virgin-into-the-volcano thing.
But really, that was just to ensure a good harvest.
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
My friends and I still spank each other on our birthdays. It's actually kind of a race. Everyone else tries to get in the right number of spanks (plus one extra) on your birthday, and you try to avoid them at all cost. Most of the time it just ends up with everyone holding you down at 11:55 as they give you the rest of your spankings. It's hilarious.
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
Tante, we used to do that, but it was 7 virgins. That volcano got hungry!
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
I remember being the first girl in my second grade class to wear pants to school. My mother made me a bright red polyester double-knit pantsuit; it had big bell bottoms with pleats in the sides and a tunic that I wore over a white long-sleeved shirt. I wish I had a picture of me in it; I can't believe that I still remember it so vividly. The fabric was textured; it was some kind of raised floral pattern. I was sure that I was really something that day.
I remember a girl next to me saying "what are you smiling about?"
Me: "Nothing."
But I'd forgotten all about birthday spankings. I don't remember any specifics, and I don't think teachers administered them, but I do remember that they occurred.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Two words: Red Rover. It's like regulation football for five-year-olds.
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
I LOVED Red Rover. It was definitely one of the best games around. It was the only excuse you could ever get for clotheslining a kid.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Red Rover was fun, and we never had any serious injuries.
More people got hurt playing "snatch the bacon" than Red Rover!
Posted by steven (Member # 8099) on :
I used to participate in a daily Battle Royal on the grassy hill next to the playground in elementary school. Basically about half the boys in the school would be fighting in a large group of about 20-30 on said hill. We were K-2, so not really strong or heavy enough to do major damage, but...the teachers were right there. Really, it just was barbaric....and also fairly fun, although not entirely appropriate.
It was either, during "play period"
1. play softball 2. play tag 3. whup ass/get whupped on the hill.
I was often internally divided as to which I wanted. Sometimes *whisper*...I still am.
Posted by scholar (Member # 9232) on :
I got injured playing red rover. I hit the line and flipped over, landing on my head. The school nurse called my mom and had her come take me home. But I had fun!
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
There weren't any girls sports teams when I was in school. Title IX passed some time around the time I started college.
The boys' advisor at my high school was the disciplinarian, and had a wooden paddle that he would hit boys with quite hard on their bums. He made big strapping teenage boys cry regularly. The paddle had holes drilled in it because that made it hurt more. Imagine that today!
My dad would hit us quite hard when we were young. Hard enough to make bruises. It was considered okay then, just discipline. I can't imagine hitting a kid. Time outs are more effective and preserve the moral high ground. But it seems like everyone's parents hit them when I was young.
One day I went to lunch with about 12 of the guys I worked with at the time and the topic came up of "bad football coaches I have known". I was just floored at some of the brutal stupid stuff they told. Have football coaches changed since then I hope?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
ooo you have to tell me that stuff for my novel!
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
My god, I've never even heard of "birthday spankings." All I ever had was cake and presents, yet somehow I don't feel like I've been missing out. To misquote erosomniac, where the hell did that idea come from?
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