My guy.
She's probably voiced it more than once, and let the belt do the talking.
The lesson that was also taught was don't be cussing in her house.
You speak as if they reside in a institution where corporal punishment is dished out over any displays of joy and happiness.
In the book Manchild in the Promised Land, the autobiography of Claude Brown, young Sonny said as a boy he was confused when his mother used to say “be good”. What did that mean? So when he went out with his friends to steal, his thought process when stealing was “be good” as in be a good thief.
You’re applying adult logic to children who are still learning about the world. If an adult’s intent is to communicate an idea, they’d be better served using words because just swinging a belt can mean anything. All that action and not one single idea was expressed. Pathetic parenting.
