Being number nine in a family of 10 children gave me a different perspective on child rearing. I could watch my older brothers and sisters as they mismanaged their children’s upbringing.

At least that’s what I thought at the time. In retrospect, it’s apparent that I should have kept better notes.

Bring back the hickory switch! No, I do not mean to use it as a weapon on the untenable, misbehaving little munchkins. But there was always that threat that a parent could use to guide them along the path to perfect minding.

My mother, bless her soul, would always order us to go outside and select our switch of choice when we were needing a little better direction — or should I say, guidance.

There was this hickory tree, at least that was what we kids called it, just outside the back door of our home that I truly believe our Daddy planted for this purpose. It was actually

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