Re: Scotland Ban Smacking

I believe parents should have a right to discipline their own children. Unfortunately some parents use this opening to harm and abuse their kids which leaves far from good results. At one time my father broke his hand in 3 places and had a cast up past his elbow.

Of course they both deny it ever happened but there are hospital medical records. He even made an appointment with a counsellor stating it was my fault he broke his hand.

The counsellor told him he was really lucky that I didn’t have him arrested and thrown in jail. He conveniently forgets that part too.

Fortunately most parents love their children too much in inflict this type of abuse. Not being able to discipline your own children could lead to children getting too big for their bridges.

Re: Scotland Ban Smacking

The image of that sounds funny now but I bet it wasn't at the time.

Re: Scotland Ban Smacking

It definitely wasn't funny at the time I can tell you, like you say though the image of it does conjure up something to be laughed at. Imagine that happening today! That teacher would lose his job and end up inside after paying me £ thousands in compensation. I expect he's dead now and I don't reckon much on digging him up so he may have won. Nasty ******* that he was!

But in reality he didn't win as I had a good job with almost full employment for 55 years – so there Mr Brown, stick your maths, that cane and that slipper where the sun doesn't shine!

Re: Scotland Ban Smacking

The problem, once again, is that by making a sweeping one size fits all law, albeit for good intentions, the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater.

Re: Scotland Ban Smacking

Just one word for him. Scumbag. I like to think of myself as a peaceful, law respecting man. BUt if you were my son he did that to - in that sadistic and cruel way - he'd have more than his car windows smashed.

Re: Scotland Ban Smacking

There were however, many, many more words when he emerged from seeing his car with every window smashed. Almost the whole playground, full of pupils cheering and jeering, together with their very own expressions of contempt!

Karma – what more can be said!

In those days (late 1950s / early 1960s) corporal punishment of that nature was usual, many parents were very strict believing their child deserved what they received. Nowadays things have gone totally the reverse, hence the problems in schools often seen today with some pupils 'ruling the roost' and with the backing of their parents.

Re: Scotland Ban Smacking

One could argue that his actions significantly affected your future fortunes and that you actually owe him a great debt.

Re: Scotland Ban Smacking

Yes, possibly but that could have gone either way, depending on the type of person I was at the time. It could equally have put me right down and that would have been totally negative. However, as it happens it did not and another event, many of them actually, occurred when I was serving my six-year apprenticeship. It was 'tradition' that apprentices were given a hard time and during that time I was often 'put down' in all manner of ways in order to 'toughen up'. That, together with the 'maths teacher' incident, made me far more resilient so more able to deal with the 'trials and tribulations' most of us face in life.

Re: Scotland Ban Smacking

Excellent. I urge you to find his grave and put a bunch of flowers on it.

Then, stamp on them and have a well earned dump on the gravestone

Re: Scotland Ban Smacking

I can see what you mean but in no way would I allow that event to bring that kind of reaction from me. I much prefer instead to reflect on the look on his face, which I remember to this day some 60 years' later, when he slunk away to the jeers and names from pupils that day.

That in itself is satisfaction enough without any negative reaction from me. To react in that way would mean that he still retains some control over me, which he definitely does not.

'Revenge' if that is what that could be termed as, is in the satisfaction of 55 years' almost full employment in a trade that gave me so much that is positive.