Author:
Cynthia (for Doug)
[ Edit | View ]
|
Date Posted: 08:48:09 08/07/14 Thu
I don't mind answering a questionnaire if you don't mind wordy responses. I like details, and I remember this day very well. :) Keep in mind I was shocked that I was actually going to get paddled. I would have thought it more likely that my south Texas high school would be covered in snow.
This also happened the day after I skipped. Someone saw us coming back to catch our bus.
1. After you choose to get swats, were you paddled immediately or did you have to return for the punishment?
Immediately. I got called out of PE (they always tried to do discipline during PE because you either missed less instruction or the paddle hurt more during workout clothes....the reason depended on who you ask). From the time I left class until I walked out sore from the office was probably less than 15 minutes. It all happened really fast.
2. Was there a witness?
Yes. This was the worst part. I had to have a female witness. If the one female coach was busy (as she usually was during PE), they called in one of the secretaries. This was bad for me because the one they called in was this little elderly Mexican lady who I had seen at church every weekend for as long as I could remember. I knew that she knew my grandma really well, and I think we might have been very distantly related. I wish they had brought in ANYONE else.
3. What position did you assume for the paddling?
The principal told me to go to the side of his desk. There were two pieces of duct tape on the floor he told me to put my feet on. Then he said to put my elbows on his desk. The tape didn't really spread my legs very far apart, and it wasn't inappropriate by any means. But it helped make sure your butt was up and made an easy target.
4. Did you know how many swats you would get?
I was told 5 swats or 5 days detention. I never wanted to stay in school a second longer than I had to, and I knew that with my family situation detention would probably have meant walking a long way home. So it was a no brainer.
5. Was the paddling more or less painful than you thought it would be? And how painful would you rate it on a scale of 1 to 10? How long did serious pain last (if it was serious to begin with)?
I would give it an 8. The swats definitely hurt, and my butt hurt really badly the rest of the day. But I don't think I hurt as bad as I would from a normal spanking at home. I would have definitely gotten more than five at home, and I wouldn't have shorts or panties on.
6. Were you crying when you left the office? Did other students know you had been paddled?
I did not cry. I was a child of MANY spankings. By the time I was in high school, it would have taken alot to make me cry. I did not have to face any students immediately after. The principal's office had a second door that went directly into the hall, so I did not face anyone who might be in the waiting area. When I got back to PE, the coach just told me to go into the locker room, so I had about 5 to 10 minutes before I saw any other students. I don't think anyone knew without me telling them (other than the other girls I skipped with who got the same thing during their PE periods).
I did cry later on when my mom and grandma talked to me about it. I thought for sure I was going to get another spanking. But they talked to me about how my dad was working out of town for a while, my brother was trying to get into college, my mom was working two jobs to help him pay for it, my sister was in kindergarten, and my grandma was getting older and had two of my cousins living with her during the week. I got a long "time to grow up" speech that brought me to giant tears. I think I'd have gladly taken another spanking.
7. Once you finally had a chance to inspect the effects of the paddling on your bottom, how did it look?
I looked at it in the locker room. I had a pretty big butt, but the effects were pretty confined to left side and the middle. The area where the paddle landed most directly had a bullseye spot and a big bruise forming. It was still there when my mom and grandma made me show them later.
8. And finally, overall do you think the experience was effective at discouraging you from skipping school? Does it seem like a good or bad idea to offer that option today?
I don't think so. If it was just about the paddling, I'd have skipped school even more. I spent a day hanging out at my friend's pool instead of school and I all got was 5 swats. I'd have made that trade again. But the talk afterwards really got me, and I didn't want to cause more headaches for my family.
As for today, I think it's a pretty dumb idea. I don't think spanking is a best practice, though I would never say I've never done it with my kids. When my daughter was about the age I was when this happened to me, the school called me for permission to paddle her for tardies. I didn't want to say yes, but I didn't want her to go to in school suspension where she would miss a lot of class. So I said it was ok with me to let her make the choice. I have always regretted saying yes. I don't think I would have let them paddle her again, and I don't think I would ever say yes if they call about one of my sons.
Hope this satisfied some of your questions. Feel free to ask me more about any part except the part about my daughter. I have said all I will about that one.
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
|
Feedback: 