In spanking or not, anything that is hard and solid is going to hurt much worse than something that is supple and has some 'give' to it. (Of course, as you can see in my profile pic, his hand has a nice effect too. :D)

Now, RG has used a switch on me - thin, whippy, lots of 'give' - and I swear, it was excruciating. But I still contend that the worst spanking I ever got was with a school paddle (by RG, not growing up). It's simply more solid and its impact is greater.

A switch was never used on me growing up, however.

And here's a cute little follow-up to that particular story. Not too long after this particular paddling sarah had plopper herself down on the floor, sitting cross-legged, with her back against the wall. That was not too unusual, except where she was sitting.

"Isn't there a vent on the floor underneath you?" I asked.

"Yes!" she said, "And that's exactly why I'm sitting on it, for the cool air!"

And that wasn't all. At the time she was living in her own place and so not too long after I had left I called her from my cell phone, and while we were talking she told me that she had just put some ice into a plastic baggie to try and help cool her bottom off!!! :D

Ummmm, dear -- What you are referring to is the school paddling re-enactment we did. I have had many a worse spanking than that one.

I am speaking of that horrid discipline spanking I received about 2 years ago. :(

A few minutes ago Sarah came to me and said, "I can't believe that you mixed up which spanking was which." After some discussion it was clear that I didn't have the two spankings mixed up, but rather how I interpreted her reference.

And you just gotta know Sarah. Strong-minded, peppery, little package of fire, with the innate instincts of a trial lawyer. Ever have one of those discussions where you know you just ain't gonna win? So I think I'll stop while I'm only slightly behind. ;)

(And even though it was a different spanking for an entirely different reason, you gotta admit that that account that I told about the air conditioning vent and the bag of ice WAS a cute story!)

i was spanked, but never more than one or two swats at a time, always over clothing, and always from a standing up position. as in, i'd just be grabbed and quickly swatted. i do remember that one time just the one swat still hurt the next day though.

That must have been a mighty swat, persephone. Hurt in what way and what was it like the next day?

Also, at what age did you get your last swat?

it hurt with kind of a muscle soreness, so far as i can remember. i know i told my dad about it, thinking that he would feel really regretful, but he didn't seem to be when i told him. i think that, as a child, he was subject to more severe punishment than he ever doled out to my sister or i.

as for what age i stopped receiving them, i'm not sure. i remember always wondering if i was at last too old to be spanked but being too embarassed to ask. once i hit a certain age i was so freaked out by the whole thing that i couldn't even utter the word. it was never stated "you're too old for that now," and i remember wondering if i was too old, being sure that i must be, but then being disappointed. if i had to guess what age i was, it would probably be about 10 or 11... i'm positive that there wasn't any more physical discipline after i hit my teens, although it was threatened once or twice.

i remember VERY clearly reading a children's book where the heroine was 8 years old. she did something bad and she asked her dad if she was going to get spanked, and he told her she was too old to be spanked. the character was thrilled... that was what opened up the idea, and the hope, in my mind. i wasn't so lucky as her, though.

The belt was the usual implement. On one occasion the fly swatter and the last but definatly not least, was a peach limb.

Recall the title of the book? Author?

i can't BELIEVE that i remembered this. with some help from google, of course. what would we do without google? the book is called "emily's runaway imagination" by beverly cleary.

just a side note, i searched around a bit more and found a cute spanking reference in another beverly cleary book (these were staples in my childhood), "ramona and her father."

"ramona," said mr. quimbly, "my grandmother used to have a saying. 'first time is funny, second time is silly, third time is a spanking.'"

ramona looked down at her placemat. nothing seemed to go right lately.

adorable. i also distinctly remember another ramona book where ramona sees her parents playing and is shocked to see her dad swat her mom. i remember thinking, "my parents do that too.."