Days like that are short lived in memory as he gets older. Soon enough you'll only remember the good times and wonder where the years went.

that's OK, 'cause he'll only remember the bad times and be counting the days......
.....at least until he's all growed up with kids of his own....... ...then the good times and guilt will flood back. have a reparition list ready....

When my Mum was telling me off one day, she told me that unless I started behaving myself, all I would remember of my childhood was being told off and being in trouble. She said she didn't want that to happen for my sake. I don't know that it made me behave any better, but it certainly stuck in my head as an unpleasant prediction.

If you had behave better you wouldn't remember it. ;)

Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign, 1999

Told off? I was told I'd be sold off . . . to the Indians!

I was often told by Mum that she couldn't cope with me any more and I would have to be put in a home. And I genuinely believed it.

I remember knowing that this was "the next time" I was always being threatened with and hiding behind the sofa crying silently because I heard Mum on the phone. I fell asleep and was only woken by the call for tea. Mum didn't connect my flushed puffy face, lack of appetite and tearful demeanour with my earlier bad behaviour - she thought I was ill and was very kind to me (making me cry more).

I was put to bed with kisses and kind words and never told her that all I was suffering from was remorse and relief. Although to be fair, I was genuinely worn out by then.

My grandma would tell us to stop making "that face" or it would stick that way and we would be a laughingstock. I interpreted that as Laughing Sock. I probably figured "eh, there are worse things to be than a cheerful sock."