This is a story about me getting a smacked bottom for misbehaving in the supermarket,
I cannot remember exactly what age, but basically, my mum was a firm believer in corporal punishment for both me and my three sisters while we were growing up.
On this particular occasion, I had been naughty and in a foul mood all day.
Then my mother decided we needed to do a food shop at the supermarket.
I hated food shopping and Mum knew this.
Once we got in the shop, I was still misbehaving.
I knocked stuff off the shelves and was being rude to both my siblings and to other adults in the shop.
Having already given me several warnings about my behaviour throughout the day,
Mother had finally had enough.
She dragged me by the hair and took me down one of the quieter aisles.
Once we were there, she firmly smacked my bottom six times.
Even though it was through clothing, it stung as Mum had a good hard hand.
Naturally, this made me cry, but then Mother said something which made me feel even worse.
“You are going to get another good smacked bottom when I get you home” she hissed.
With that warning, my tears re-doubled.
A few other customers looked at me.
I’m pretty sure some of them saw me having my bottom smacked but they said nothing to my mother.
There was a lot more acceptance of this type of discipline in those days, and most of them probably thought I had deserved what I got.
Perhaps in the vain hope that Mum would relent about the smacking back at home, my behavior in the supermarket did then improve.
I had to endure my older sister Lucy teasing and taunting me.
When we got home, we all helped Mother put the shopping away, then she said: “Sarah, go to your room and wait for me.
I promised you a smacked bottom, and that’s what you’re getting.”
I sat on my bed, crying quietly, then a few minutes later Mother came up with the slipper that was kept for these purposes.
As promised, she put me over her knee.
Then she applied the slipper methodically to my bottom.
It was one of the most memorable smacked bottoms I ever got.
