It's World Breast Feeding Week! That makes me...

[Nanohedron]

You nailed that one, and Good Lord again. You're well younger than I. When I was a kid I thought that stuff died out with buttonhooks and suffrage marches. What school district did you attend: Oliver Twist?

And I was NOT coddled. Or so I think.

[I.D.10-t]

You are young in the right ways.

[Nanohedron]

You are young in the right ways.

Aww, thank you.

I think.

At a local ITM open-mike fundraiser I talked this other guy into teaming up with me on stage to do hornpipes on kazoos. Y'know, just to try to get some folks to loosen their corsets for a bit. Is that what you mean?

[fearfaoin]

I know I'd wake up if I were sleeping and someone gave me a mouthful of toothpaste.

No toothpaste for babies. Fluoride is
not good when swallowed, and even
the average toddler doesn't always
spit on command.

[I.D.10-t]

You are young in the right ways.

Aww, thank you.

I think.

More like an insult to me. I know how to cheat on spelling tests using the ink well.

[Nanohedron]

I know I'd wake up if I were sleeping and someone gave me a mouthful of toothpaste.

No toothpaste for babies.

Good. It's cheaper that way.

Fluoride is
not good when swallowed...

Even *I* know this. Gimme some credit, already.

...and even
the average toddler doesn't always
spit on command.

Well, you hold them upside-down, then. C'mon, this stuff is easy.

I know how to cheat on spelling tests using the ink well.

Dude, you should be an exhibit at a historical site. Oh, wait. You already hang out at Fort Snelling, don't you.

[emmline]

Heck, In my dad's day they drew a circle on the chalk board and made him stand on his tip toes to hold his nose there. (I learned that later from someone else).

That was me...me! It was my first grade teacher Mrs. Randall. She was scary. I never offended her enough to earn that punishment, but sometimes the entire class had to stand looking at the ceiling for 10 minutes.

Seriously. She really did that chalkboard/circle thing.

[mutepointe]

I grew up with parents, teachers, and other adults who just whacked us. These torture techniques you folks are writing about are just plain creepy. They even out-creep what I always thought would be the worst punishment of all time, having an adult try to talk sense to me.

I think the torture techniques would have just made me worse. All I could think of was that sooner or later I would have said, "F that." Do any of you have first hand knowledge of anyone saying that or refusing the torture? What happened with the kid?

[emmline]

Do any of you have first hand knowledge of anyone saying that or refusing the torture? What happened with the kid?

Even the most intractable 1st graders rarely refused punishment. But my recollection is that anyone (like that kid named Todd) who persisted despite Mrs. Randall's arsenal of tricks was sent to the Principal's office.
I do not know what happened there. It was a place we only speculated about, with fear and trembling.

[Denny]

nothing much happened there

if anything it was more boring than class

thankfully it was quieter

no it was a transitional thing

4th in the hall
5th between the hall and the office
6th in the office (had me own desk by then)

luckily it was a 6 3 3 system

[mutepointe]

You da man. I would like to correct my earlier statement. I wouldn't have said "F that." My MO as a child was to completely shutdown and cry if necessary. No talking, no eating, no response, no looking at anybody or anything, no nothing. There was no bringing me back once this happened. This was not a pretty sight and freaked out adults and children alike. Even nuns knew not to push me this far unless they planned on having their day filled with me. I was a demi-god.