Spanking Threats in "The Donna Reed Show"

50s dad, Dr. Alex Stone, disciplining his kids.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• carl
• betz
• paul
• petersen
• shelly
• fabares
• classic
• tv

[glcep]

too many of those old shows like Beaver, Make Room for Daddy. Little House,

Waltons, Lassie, etc. whuppin's were implied or threatened but never carried out. Or if they were carried out it was off-camera. In the Little House books Willie Olsen gets caned hard by a teacher, and you would've thought they would reproduce that in the series

[shelly1874]

@glcep Little House probably had the most onscreen spankings. I can think of several.

[zerocool7785]

What about the daughter she never gets spanked?

[shelly1874]

Maybe not since she's older. She did get some good scoldings. And in another episode, the kids are laughing at their dad about something, then he gives them a certain look, and they scamper away like they know what the "look" means.

[RoyFive]

Have to respectfully disagree. I deserved every spanking I ever got and it paid off in the long run. World of difference between discipline and child abuse.

[JubalCalif]

Obviously the Stone parents believed spanking was OK...but also obviously they used it sparingly. Very loving & supportive....as ideal parents should be. Thanks for sharing these fascinating clips with us! :)

[Smalltowngal29]

@RoyFive Totally agree with you! I deserved my spankings, too. My parents' firm discipline was balanced with their warm love and attention. It was not even close to child abuse. A lot of people these days don't know how to tell the difference.

[WHHS2001]

@pugggs I was the same way. You could ground me, take stuff away and I would just laugh and walk off. But when my dad said stop or you're getting a spanking... That always worked on me. I knew better to listen once he says that. My sister on the other hand hated being grounded so she wasn't spanked she would get grounded! So yes I do believe in spankings as long it's in love and not abuse!

[HORSE1492]

@390merc65 HORSE1492. 03/09/27/2011 A.D. HE MAY HAVE EVEN TRIED TO BREAK ME OF A LIFE-LONG OF TALKING TO MYSELF,BUT TO NO AVAIL.MY ELDER SISTER MISSES HIM SO MUCH AND I RECKON SO DOES MY ELDER BROTHER,BUT I DO NOT.I WAS THE HEAD MAN OF THE HOUSE NOW AND I NO LONGER HAD TO PUT UP WITH THE YELLING AND SCREAMING FROM HIM,LET ALONE THREATS WITH THAT DAMNED BELT OF HIS.I DIDNT NEED A FATHER AROUND ANYWAY,NOR DID I HAVE TO GO TO BED AT A CERTAIN TIME ANY MORE.LIFE JUST GOT BETTER SOMEWHAT.

[HORSE1492]

@390merc65 HORSE1492. 03/09/27/2011 A.D. MY OWN FATHER HAS BEEN GONE FOR 33 YEARS-MAY 29-I WAS NOT QUITE 20 YEARS OLD.THIS IS A TERRIBLE THING TO SAY,ON MY PART,BUT I WAS SORT OF GLAD THAT HE WAS GONE.I DID NOT LIKE THEM THAT MUCH-HE BEAT ME A FEW TIMES,USUALLY FOR JUST A FEW HONEST MISTAKES,NOTHING MEAN OR DELIBERATE OR ANYTHING SUCH AS THAT AND I HATED HIM FOR IT.HE MAY HAVE EVEN TRIED TO BREAK ME OF THE HABIT OF TALKING TO MYSELF,BUT TO NO AVAIL.

[390merc65]

there is nothing wrong with a parent keeping kids in line..but to know when a slap or ass kicking is enuff and not go overboard...my parents let me know who was boss when i was a kid..did i like it then?..hell no..do i hate my parents now for keeping me in line then??/,..absolutely not

[74mumu]

a great father, for sure; 50's have had great fatherly figures...

[nauort23]

@WandR4ever which one?

[nauort23]

@pugggs A million thumbs up. This generation is also putting their brats on pharmaceuticals when the "acting out" isn't solved by "time outs". I was infrequently spanked--and like you said, I knew why!--but I'd have rather been beaten every morning than given a dose of Ritalin!! Wake up, America, and quit handing your child's mind and body over to the AMA and Pfizer, and spank their little asses once in a while! After all, half the class wasn't "autistic" or "ADHD" 40 years ago.

[WandR4ever]

thats my uncle

[rhmw77]

Many TV shows followed the Dr. Spock view od scolding instead of corporal punishment. IMHO very few on-screen spankings had the look and feel of a real gym class paddling. LOTF'61 had a real caning (brave actor) but it was kids goofing. And not the paddle.

I recall a 70s movie called Cutting Loose in which the main character gets one good swat for throwing a towel in the locker room. The "ouch" seemed real.