Those were the Days! I copied this from a recent Probus mag. ( author unknown) So very true.

FannyCornforth

Yes nadateturbe, as soon as you mention hitting children you’ve lost the room and the argument

... that's what did it for me.

I've seen a few of these trips down memory lane where posters recount how they and their siblings frequently got a good hiding and it "never did me any harm" and then go on to disparage today's parents who are "too soft".

<<<sigh>>>

We had families whose fathers beat them regularly and mothers who did not dare leave the house without DH's permission or were not allowed to work. Was it picked up by the school nurse of course not the father had been POW's with the "Japs', It is mentioned in a novel by Melvyn Bragg. The poor things probably had PSD.
Things were pushed under the carpet and tried to be forgotten.
It doesn't make them right and I agree Fanny I was really glad when" No corporal punishment ", was brought into schools. In N/C they talked about the taws I had never heard of it a leather strap split with knots on the ends.
In their own way, all these things unknowingly harmed us and our parents. I'm certainly glad attitudes have changed and speak not smack practised.

A young boy in my primary school was continually thumped in the chest and back up and down the classroom one day. He cried and said I'm telling my mummy. (I'm crying remembering). He died of heart disease age 52. I know it's silly but I often wonder was there a connection.

Hitting children was and is never right. I'm glad there's protection for children now.

Yammy yes, some horrible memories . Many things have changed for the better.

I hope my DGC are happy at home and at school.
Yes they have their phones but so do I!
They don't have helicopter parents and live healthy lives with lots of sport and nice holidays and friends
I wouldn't want them to have a childhood like mine, truly.

I had a lovely childhood. I played out all day. We took our bikes to the park and played on the swings. The same park that I would never have let my children go to on their own. Mum never knew exactly where I was, but it was in one or other of several local houses. When I was older I went to the local youth club and walked home on my own at 10.00pm. Wouldn't let children today do that. I got smacked by mum if I was naughty. But never beaten or at school. I ate the meals mum cooked, or didn't. If I wasn't playing outside I was reading or doing jigsaws.. I chalked on the pavements and played hopscotch, because there were no cars parked on them. We played cricket down the middle of the street, because there was so little traffic. At school I learnt the Lord's Prayer and still know the words of the hymns we sang. Our headmaster played a piece of classical music while we walked into assembly and told us about it. I learnt to knit and sew at 7 years old and made things out of clay as our school had a kiln. It also had it's own swimming pool where we all learnt to swim. My siblings and I rushed down in the morning as first down sat nearest the fire. Mum worked part time, but there was always someone in when I got home. I walked to and from school by myself or with my friends. When we had an injection we sat on the teachers knee and got a handful of dolly mixtures from the big jars afterwards for being brave. If we were upset or scared or had hurt ourselves at school the teachers gave us a hug and reassured us. If the weather was bad everyonecwalked to school in black wellies and had a wooden clothes peg with our name on it to clip the boots together. I had lots of sleepovers at my grans .I would snuggle in her big bed with her while she told me " Goldilocks and the three bears" and sliced oranges and thickly covered the slices in sugar.
Yes there were bad bits. I didn't like school dinners ( no chips, pizza, pasta or rice) , though the puddings were gorgeous. I hated the cold , and still do. Grandstand on TV on Saturdays was really boring, as was the cricket. And I hated budget day because there was no childrens tele. But on the whole my childhood was good and the good memories far outweigh the bad. And I hope my children have found memories of their childhood and that my DGC have good memories too.

Lizbethann55. Saturday TV was filled with sport during the day, it used to bore me to tears too. ( still does really)😉
We had chips at school on Fridays with fish or sometimes as an accompaniment to a ham salad with a freshly made bread roll: yum!