Did all parents hit their kids in the 1970s?

[Polythene]

I often hear that this was the norm. But was it, really?

I was.

Hit by mum with a twig from a tree in a garden. Remember getting red welts in the arm where I was hit.

Slapped with the hand.

School teachers used to throw the piece of chalk at you. It bloody hurt.

At home, never, at school, the threat was there.

Absolutely not. Parents dead against anything like that. Not hippies but no violence .

I don't think anyone at school was hit. No one ever said, surprised to hear it was normal for many. That's really awful.

One of my brothers was particularly awful and my dad hit him with a belt fairly often. Tho to dads 'credit' he tried all other methods of help too as well as professional external help, unheard of back then. My brother was a bad kid with no off switch. I can remember having my backside hit as a small child, and hit by mum slipper when I was 17. Teachers could also hit children.

And as for the pub, yeah, parents would take us to a countryside pub and leave us in the garden with a bottle of coke and crisps. I loved those occasional afternoons as coke and crisps was a real treat and we'd play in the sunshine.

My mother smacked me once and I still recall the exact memory, I must have only been 3. Now that I’m a parent, I realise that my children can be traumatised by anything and also I manage my own temper and emotions. I would never hurt my children or even raise my voice at them.

I was born in the 80s though.

Born late 70s so young child throughout 80s. I was definitely thrashed. Belt, slippers and other things. One of my parents had a criminal record for hitting me. The thing was, the time that occurred I had been so naughty it’s unbelievable! Not malicious naughty, stupid naughty.

You can set boundaries without resorting to physical violence. I've never laid a finger on my kids, and I never will. I would never lose control like that with children, whose brains aren't even fully developed.
I was hit, badly, and it destroyed my relationship with my father. There's no excuse. It was abuse.

My mom chased me with a wooden spoon, still getting smacked at 17 until I smacked my dad back. It was relatively normal in 70’s. Not at school until I went to a school in Scotland for very short period they would take a cane to the back of your hands for forgetting your PE kit, left school to get as forgotten PE kit after lovely primary school in England this was a rude awakening.

I think it actually went on a bit longer in independent schools. Mine (girls) didn't so I can't be sure, but we did hear stories about boys until, I reckon, about 199os at least ...

My sister had a blackboard rubber thrown at her by a teaching nun, my mum got her removed from teaching. My mum did give us the odd smack.

I remember babysitting my younger cousins when I was abot 15 or 16 in the late 70's and being told by their parents that I could smack them if they misbehaved. I never did!. I remember being smacked twice, one across the back of my legs by my Dad and once across the face by my mom. She also pushed me to the ground once , but she was very sorry afterwards.

Pub gardens and Panda Pops!

Oh yes, my partner had the blackboard rubber thrown at him too - serious damage those things, very heavy. Good on your mum!

Smacked bum, legs or if really naughty a clip round the ear

I can only once remember being smacked not hit. I cannot remember having friends that were assaulted by their parents. I don’t think it was the norm contrary to the Mumsnet beliefs! My one smack hasn’t affected the love I had for my parents. They were good bohemian people and we had a good life.

In my friendship group i’d say yes.

Nope. Mine never hit me. Sad it needed legislation to stop some people hitting kids 😏

I remember my mum hitting me with a hairbrush when I was whining about getting my hair brushed... but I remember because it was one time only. We weren't all getting beaten all the time! But maybe once in a while

Boomer here! Never hit by parents or other family, slapped with a ruler a couple of times at primary school for things like writing smudgily with the dip pen ( I'm left handed so smudging practically guaranteed)
No corporal punishment at the girls' grammar school I attended afterwards.

I was cross at the slap, it wasn't hard, but I think they thought staying in the room would upset me more as I much preferred being outside playing football or out on my bike. I preferred reading to getting dressed in uncomfortable, impractical clothes! 😅 I'm nearly 60 and rarely wear a skirt or dress. Even now wear jeans and shirts.

my brother is a 70’s baby & im an 80’s . Yes absolutely something rotten. Daily occurance for us to varying degrees & a meter stick from the maths teacher across the back of the hands (that was early 90s)
we both have our own children & the idea of raising my hand to either of mine makes me feel physically sick.
I don’t know how anybody could have or would now feel that’s ok/acceptable. No matter how far they push us, that’s is never ‘ok’. As an adult you’ve lost control if you hit a child

Mine never did. I'm actually shocked to hear so many others had different experiences.

Parents, no. Eccentric headmistress of the primary school wielded Charlie the cane on a a regular basis but it was for show rather than punishment.

Yes I was

Yes (1980s not 70s) at home when I'd been naughty or answered back, but it was a smack rather than a thrashing, and at school you got smacked across the back of the legs in front of the whole class if the teacher thought you were being naughty, total humiliation Thank god times have changed!