My children are not going to be a nuisance to their teachers. And if you ever lie to me again, God help you. Just because I haven’t spanked you or your sisters until now, it doesn’t mean that I won’t. Now give me a hug and go to your room.
You’re grounded for the weekend, and we’ll start fresh on Monday.” Starting fresh wasn’t quite that easy. My friends didn’t mention my punishment, but one day I saw Linda playing with another girl, Cathy, in the schoolyard. Linda said, “I’ll be Mother Frances, and you’ll be Brenda.” Cathy knelt down, and Linda proceeded to beat her with a ruler while Cathy made wailing sounds. A small group of spectators was very amused, and I was very embarrassed.