Some Adults Hit Children, and It’s NOT Okay
I’ve got a confession. When I was a mere kid, like four or five years old — I was constantly slapped across the face and verbally abused by a relative. And for more than two decades, the traumatic episodes remain vivid in my mind.
The physical abuse went on for years — over ridiculous reasons (I’ll list some examples in a bit). And my parents did nothing about it. Being a father now, it baffles me as to why they’d turn a blind eye to the situation. I wouldn’t tolerate such nonsense if any relative went medieval on my daughters.
A Little Background
I stayed with my grandparents as a child, up to the time when I turned 21 (when my grandmother passed on). And I remember being a carefree child who’d engage in all kinds of make-belief scenarios with my toys. I felt like a film director of sorts, and I was truly a happy firstborn grandson of my grandparents.
It was all fine and dandy — if not for the abuse. A long-term process that assaulted my psyche — that attempted to enforce discipline and fear on a child who couldn’t protect himself.
The hostile relative stayed with my grandparents — ever prepared to enforce discipline at the slightest provocation.
The slaps were horrific, sometimes leaving hand-printed welts on my cheeks. AND in all that time…
