This morning I was thinking back to when I was a young child (from about 4-6 years old) and I vividly remember my mom warning me whenever we were inside certain shops and the like that if I played up or messed with anything in there, the man (or lady) who run the place would smack me really hard. She also used to make threats about having me carted off to the 'naughty boys' home' that was run by nasty men who whacked the kids in there with big sticks that they used the money to spend on instead of light bulbs!!

I know it may have been said in jest (and probably also out of desperation) at the time, and I forgive her now all these years later for scaring me witless at the time, but I am interested to know if anyone else on here was ever on the receiving end of such extreme warnings/threats from their parents as kids, and to whether they believe it was justified at the time, etc?

P. S, Please try not to turn this thread into a 'kids today'-bashing match.