What is one of the crustiest things your parents did as punishment?

Paulina

Paulina

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Location
S.F. Bay Area
I honestly don't know why this came to mind, but I remember. I just couldn't stand broccoli as a kid. I still don't really. My mom would make a nice chicken dinner for us and since father was pissed off at me, I'd get a full plate of broccoli and nothing else. He said, "Eat it or go to bed!" I always chose to go to bed. After numerous times I believe they realized the outcome and sent me to bed quite often. Isn't that wonderful? No. And you?
 

Withholding food should not be used as a form of punishment. What you experienced could be considered child abuse in today's society, since you were denied food of any substance. One cup of steamed broccoli only contains 30-50 calories.

My parents only withheld a weekly allowance or denied privileges, and once in awhile, administered corporal punishment, which is legal in my state, as long as it is considered reasonable discipline, and doesn't cause injury.
 
After slamming my bedroom door shut after one argument with my mom, she went to the garage, got some tools, and removed it. She had my dad put it in the garage. If I remember correctly, the door was off for a couple of months. That was pretty bad to a teenage girl. No privacy.

One time, she told my sisters, who shared the big bedroom upstairs, to clean up the room before she came back. She came back home a few hours later and the room hadn't been straightened and they were not there. When they came home later, everything they owned had been thrown out the bedroom window into the snow. Stuff was on the porch roof, stuff was hanging from the gutters, stuff was on the lawn and draped over the bushes. Clothing, books, decorations, blankets, pillows, you-name-it, if it had been on the floor or draped over furniture, it was out the window. That's the maddest I ever saw her.
 
I can't remember what bad thing I did, but I was very young and believed in the boogeyman, because I was told he was real and what he did to children. I was put in the closet where my father said the boogeyman stays. It was a long hall like closet that ended turning a corner and followed a descending set of stairs from the floor above. I guessed the boogeyman hid in that dark space under the bottom of the stairs.

At first I was terrified and hid between some long winter coats hung from the closet rod, and finally I resolved that the boogeyman would come out and kill me, and there was nothing I could do about it. I pushed all the fear inside where it resided for the next 20 years. But for the moment I was ready to accept my fate. It's like I didn't care. Well, I cared, but it was not my first choice. But I did expect to die, because there was nothing I could do.

Eventually, my father let me out, but I can't remember what he said, or what I said, or what I felt. All I know is that I survived. I recovered that memory in therapy. I mostly discovered good things inside me during therapy, but that repressed memory of the closet boogeyman was one of a few bad memories.

My father and I had an on and off relationship for the next 30 years. He fell into depression and was institutionalized twice for long periods, while he received shock treatments. I got married and my wife didn't like him either because of his continual condescending remarks. He was not pleased with any success I might achieve, nor with my wife's. He was always looking for a chance to rain on any parade. I was in my late 40's when I broke off all contact and never talked to him again. He died far away under the care of his second wife after my mother died.
 
My parents were pretty good to me overall, and I could be a brat at times. I got my father's belt a couple of times but after that if we were in a public place and I misbehaved he simply took his belt off and pointed to the restroom, and I shaped up. He never hit me in anger. My mother, on the other hand, did hit me with her hairbrush one time.

My father was one to sit me down and talk through it. My mother was one to say "Wait until your father gets home".
 
If we did something naughty, we might get a smack on the bum, but not really anything. Usually, we'd get a talking to instead. And we just didn't get into trouble when we were older. We concentrated on school, sports and hobbies. No boozing it up ( not until I was in my late twenties), we did not smoke, no drugs, except my older brother when he was in his twenties smoking pot.
 
Paulina said:
I honestly don't know why this came to mind, but I remember. I just couldn't stand broccoli as a kid. I still don't really. My mom would make a nice chicken dinner for us and since father was pissed off at me, I'd get a full plate of broccoli and nothing else. He said, "Eat it or go to bed!" I always chose to go to bed. After numerous times I believe they realized the outcome and sent me to bed quite often. Isn't that wonderful? No. And you?
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We’re old, let it go. 🤗

We all have a few moments, good and bad, that shaped our lives.

“We are all someone’s monster.”
- Leigh Bardugo
 
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I'm most likely lucky to survive to the age of 12! My parents never
whipped me but they scarred the crap out!

Maybe they did appreciate how hard I worked but I also could screw up.
I remember the 100's of feeder pigs I grabbed to be inoculated or neutered.
The 1000 of hours on a tractor and field work, bailing hay and all that +
the 1000's of tons of tomatoes to market. Putting that tomato plant in its holder
so the planter would place it in the ground one at a time for hours. All the snow
and all the hours of clearing a drive from the highway near 1/2 mile away. It was
an experience growing up then but also very physical and mental too.

I was a mistake gonna happen 2 probably.
 
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When I was a little boy I watched a John Wayne Western movie and after I kept calling everyone in my family 'Pilgrim'.

So we're all having dinner and I turn to my mother and say, "Pass the grits, Miss Pilgrim!" (My brothers and sisters started giggling, which just encouraged me more.

Turning towards my father- "Thanks for this mighty fine meal there Mr. Pilgrim!"

My Dad: "One more of those and you're out of here!"

Me: (standing up and walking away) "Sure thing...PILGRIM!!!"

Well Dad chased me around the kitchen to roars of laughter from my siblings...chased me into my room and slammed the door shut. Yes. I got sent to my room for doing a bad John Wayne imitation! Oh boy that was a hoot!
 
seadoug said:
My parents were pretty good to me overall, and I could be a brat at times. I got my father's belt a couple of times but after that if we were in a public place and I misbehaved he simply took his belt off and pointed to the restroom, and I shaped up. He never hit me in anger. My mother, on the other hand, did hit me with her hairbrush one time.

My father was one to sit me down and talk through it. My mother was one to say "Wait until your father gets home".
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Oh, good Lord. I always heard "Wait until your father gets home". He was a big, tall man and all he had to do was clinch his huge fist right in the front of my face. I always bowed down. What a wonderful man. A man I so loved through and through. Not.
 
Beezer said:
When I was a little boy I watched a John Wayne Western movie and after I kept calling everyone in my family 'Pilgrim'.

So we're all having dinner and I turn to my mother and say, "Pass the grits, Miss Pilgrim!" (My brothers and sisters started giggling, which just encouraged me more.

Turning towards my father- "Thanks for this mighty fine meal there Mr. Pilgrim!"

My Dad: "One more of those and you're out of here!"

Me: (standing up and walking away) "Sure thing...PILGRIM!!!"

Well Dad chased me around the kitchen to roars of laughter from my siblings...chased me into my room and slammed the door shut. Yes. I got sent to my room for doing a bad John Wayne imitation! Oh boy that was a hoot!
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Both my late father-in-Law and my husband would think you're just absolutely wonderful Pilgrim. :) Long live the Duke.
 
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During 4th grade my Mom married a man I came to adore and truly love. A point in time came when she was so mad at us girls she told him to punish us. He walked us into our room closed the door, took off his belt and whispered... "When I snap this belt you 3 scream like your life depends on it" He actually had tears in his eyes for us and himself. That man totally got it!
 

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