The primary guideline followed by medieval parents in training
their children was the biblical admonishment: "Spare the rod and
spoil the child." Scolding was considered ineffectual, and
cursing a child was a terrible thing.1 Centuries before the
field of child psychology came into being, medieval parents
would have had no use for a "time out," which may have appeared
more like a reward than a penalty. Corporal punishment was
undoubtedly the norm. From the perspective of our modern
society, "beating" a child will certainly appear "medieval." But
corporal punishment had its practical side. Is it kinder to
smack a child on the bottom when he reaches for the cooking pot,
or to let him burn his fingers and spill scalding soup on
himself when he pulls on it to look inside? The medieval world
was a dangerous place, and it could take harsh measures to
prepare a child to live in it. As children grew older, they
could expect corporal punishment not only from parents but from
teachers and neighbors should they be caugh