“”Most of us here are old enough to have grown up getting spankings””
And wonder of wonders, we survived to this ripe old age. Well, of course, I’m speaking for myself.
My cousins and I have had discussions about this in our “later” years - we remember all the spankings but we have to admit they didn’t really change anything. Our mothers were sisters and whether at their place or ours, the discipline was still the same. It was a look from the fathers that was more frightening, we all agreed!
The fathers are really expected (by God) to be leaders in their family. If they behave in a respectable way, force may often prove unnecessary to bring a wayward child back into line. As you said, the look (presumably of great disappointment) was what you feared. Force should be reserved for when other measures fail.
I so agree.... all I had to hear from my Father was, “I’m so disappointed...” and I started bawling. It was far worse to think he was upset with me than anything my Mother wanted to spank me with....and although I still say I wasn’t beaten, I never really had to spank my children. I learned from my Dad that talking to them worked better.