The standards of parenting have drastically gone down – at least discipline wise. Back in the day, parents never hesitated to break the rod. Those days the whipping you’d get would make you wonder if the woman was really your mother or you were adopted, and for reasons such as:
Eating at a neighbour’s house
Food was often the reason that would guarantee a beating. Being a child, what was better than food? A neighbour, feeling philanthropic, would welcome you to their house for a quick meal. And mothers, being better investigators than FBI, and Scotland Yard combined, always knew about it. The beating that would follow still sends a cold shiver even for a thirty-year-old man. We’ve never even understood why it was such a terrible mistake.
Getting home late
If it were possible, a mother would keep you on a leash. But then there was school, and little errands to be run. The principle was: get home at a reasonably good time. Teachers being teachers, they were often tempted to send you on errands, sometimes running after school hours. On getting home, you’d find your mother has suspended all important duties, waiting for your arrival so he can teach you a lesson.
Throwing tantrums
On rare occasions, such as when you were sick, you’d accompany your mother to the dispensary, and thereafter, shopping. You’d silently follow your mother around, picking stuff, then she proceeded to pay. You did throw tantrums at all. There was no shame in your mother dealing with you there and then, in front of all shoppers. Look at kids of today; the tantrums they throw are just sickening.
Hanging around visitors
A child’s place was always far away from where the visitors were, especially if they came impromptu. You were expected to greet them and stay away as far as possible because your hawk-eyed mother would be taking notes on all the wrong things you’d be doing. And they were many. As such visitors were often viewed with dread, as well as a blessing for the goodies they would come with.
Disciplined for being far too disciplined
Sometimes you would be so disciplined: never ate at the neighbour’s house, never let the sheep stray, got home on time, and performed whatever duty you were asked accordingly. You would be thinking about how you have escaped a beating in a while. Sorry unto you. Your mother would just descend on you out of the blues because discipline was always a work in progress.
#historynow #hivisasaoriginal