A Military Upbringing1

I was a child born in the early 60s, my father was in the military and my mum was very much a homemaker, although she did have a part-time job at various times during my childhood. In our early years my upbringing was reasonably stable, with the odd move every few years – all within the UK – as my father’s military career took him to different postings. With three sisters and no brothers, the rules of the house were straightforward – do as you are told, be on time, do not steal, do not backchat and our parents’ decisions were final. All of this was supported by an unwritten principle that ‘actions have consequences’ – this meant a range of punishments including being sent early to bed, not being allowed out, as well as physical punishment of varying severity, which changed as we got older.