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Spanking was a normal thing back then.

I was a teenager in the 1980s. I don't think spanking was common back then. The Chief was very much of the old school and I think he threatened spanking because of the time he grew up in.

I was a teenager in the 1980s. I don't think spanking was common back then. The Chief was very much of the old school and I think he threatened spanking because of the time he grew up in.

Are you kidding? Spanking was definately common in the 1980's! I know this because as a child growing up in the 1980's my sister, cousins, friends, and I received spankings all the time whenever we got into trouble. In fact, in my household as a kid, spankings were practically our warnings, followed by "Quit crying, before I give you something to cry about." We also got spankings in nursery school! It seems like us 80's kids (Generartion Xers) were the last generation of kids to receive an old school corporal punishment upbringing and education, and the first generation of new school upbringing and education. Yes, there were (and still are) other ways for parents to discipline their kids, but spanking was/still is a normal form of punishment. Maybe where you're from, spanking wasn't all that common; but where I'm from, spanking was practically the first line of discipline. Today, many parents are afraid to spank their kids because they think that the police will arrest them. However (my mom is living proof of this), what the police will actually do is turn their backs for about 5 minutes while the parent spanks the child (all the while, the cops are thanking God that there are still parents who are not afraid to discipline their kids and they discipline them because they love them), and then they will turn around and either leave or (if they are out in public), they will tell the parent to take the child home, that's it! The only way the cops can pick up a parent for spanking their child is if the parent is beating the child just for the sake of beating that child for reasons that have nothing to do with that child. There is a fine line between discipline and abuse. It's just that nowadays, many parents are afraid to touch it. As an educator in the public school system, I can tell the difference between the kids that receive some form of discipline, and those who receive no discipline at all.

Let's not forget: The Chief chased Katie around the house with a belt that time when she cheated on that College Entrance Exam. He also slapped Katie and Julie in the face. And his other form of discipline was to ground the girls for X number of years or months.

Are you kidding? Spanking was definately common in the 1980's! I know this because as a child growing up in the 1980's my sister, cousins, friends, and I received spankings all the time whenever we got into trouble. In fact, in my household as a kid, spankings were practically our warnings, followed by "Quit crying, before I give you something to cry about." We also got spankings in nursery school! It seems like us 80's kids (Generartion Xers) were the last generation of kids to receive an old school corporal punishment upbringing and education, and the first generation of new school upbringing and education. Yes, there were (and still are) other ways for parents to discipline their kids, but spanking was/still is a normal form of punishment. Maybe where you're from, spanking wasn't all that common; but where I'm from, spanking was practically the first line of discipline. Today, many parents are afraid to spank their kids because they think that the police will arrest them. However (my mom is living proof of this), what the police will actually do is turn their backs for about 5 minutes while the parent spanks the child (all the while, the cops are thanking God that there are still parents who are not afraid to discipline their kids and they discipline them because they love them), and then they will turn around and either leave or (if they are out in public), they will tell the parent to take the child home, that's it! The only way the cops can pick up a parent for spanking their child is if the parent is beating the child just for the sake of beating that child for reasons that have nothing to do with that child. There is a fine line between discipline and abuse. It's just that nowadays, many parents are afraid to touch it. As an educator in the public school system, I can tell the difference between the kids that receive some form of discipline, and those who receive no discipline at all.

Let's not forget: The Chief chased Katie around the house with a belt that time when she cheated on that College Entrance Exam. He also slapped Katie and Julie in the face. And his other form of discipline was to ground the girls for X number of years or months.

You make some very good points. I may have grown up in a different enviornment. I had never been spanked, nor did I know any friends or cousins that had been spanked as well. I did hear of the stories of the the times when my parents grew up that spanking was common. I think by the 1980s, that aspect of discipline was starting to phase out. Obviously, what you say, not completely. I think the older generation of parents were more apt to use spanking not only as form of punishment, but also as a form of control. To hear of it in the 1980s as you describe, its very surprising to me.

I was also a child of the 1980s, and yes, spanking was still VERY common in that era! I got spanked when I misbehaved, sometimes with a belt. My question was not whether spanking was common in the 1980s, but rather I was just asking if it was ever made known if the Chief actually spanked his daughters or just threatened. I used to watch Gimme a Break! all the time, but it hasn't been on in years so I've forgotton. I vividly remember the Chief chasing Katie around with his belt and also threatening Julie since she had taken the test for her. I was just wondering if there is someone who remembers better than me if we find out whether that was just an isolated incident, or if the Chief used spanking as discipline. For instance, it was made known to the audience that Mr. Drummond on Diff'rent Strokes actually spanked.

From the episodes I remember, I do not recall him actually spanking the girls. I do know he threatened them with spanking more than one occasion.

What other occasions were there? I just remember him chasing Katie with his belt?

That was the one that sticks out the most because I remember that he chased her in her room. I can't think of specific ones right now. I would need to see the DVDs. But I know one time he used a line to the effect of "don't think you're too old to be spanked" or something like that.

"But I know one time he used a line to the effect of "don't think you're too old to be spanked" or something like that."

Who did he tell that to and in what context? I don't remember that at all.

"But I know one time he used a line to the effect of "don't think you're too old to be spanked" or something like that."

Who did he tell that to and in what context? I don't remember that at all.

I don't recall that either. I do recall, however, in the episode "Katie the Cheat", where the Chief told Katie, "Don't plan on sitting down at your wedding." But I don't ever recall the Chief ever saying "Don't think you're too old to be spanked." I don't think that there was ever an episode where the Chief spanks either of the girls, although he did slap Katie and Julie in the face. I think that the only reason why the Chief never spanked the girls on the show was because Nell was always there to stop him. Maybe. that's just me.

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