It’s no secret that our parents (Latino moms and dads) do not play when it comes to discipline. My mother and father, papá especially, didn’t have to do more than give us “The Look” in order for us to know it was time to stop whatever we were doing immediately if we did not want to suffer the consequences. We’d freeze, shake in our pants, cease and desist before they could say anything, for we knew what would follow, if we didn’t, would be anything but nice.
Definitely not to say that we were abused or suffered children by any means – we weren’t. Más bien, éramos bien canijos, so absolutely we, well me more than the rest of my siblings I like to claim, undoubtedly endured the occasional coscorrón, manotazo, pellizco, cintarazo, and yes even the world famous chancletazo, probably the most effective of the bunch because it was administered by our mother and felt more like an attack on our heartstrings than anything else. But those dosages of corporal punishment, even when they didn’t feel like it at the time, actually helped us become more responsible, more respectful, and definitely more aware of our place in the world.
Mother and father: authority.
Us: subject to their discipline and enseñanzas.
So now, my question is to you, what do you remember about your own parents’ discipline style? There are no right or wrong answers, nor should you feel like you can’t share your opinions if you don’t believe in corporal punishment. This is more of a way of honoring our parents for all of their efforts to raise us the best way possible, that they knew how at the moment.