how did domestic violence affect your childhood?

[pt89]

From a young age I can remember screaming/shouting/occasional violence and trying to hide from it all. Mum tried to pretend nothing was wrong but it clearly was. She was definitely depressed and withdrawn especially after a fight as I got older she started to shout and scream at me even if I hadn't done anything really wrong, like not tidying my room would be a MASSIVE issue!! I can't remember ever playing games with either of them and quality time was non existent. Needless to say as a parent now I spend loads of time with my two lovely daughters but still resent that missed childhood that all my friends in school seemed to have.
Was it me or them?

Well of course, it was them.

But there's no point in resenting the potentially perfect childhoods your mates may have had. You have no way of knowing what was going on behind closed doors, and plenty of them will have had their own heartaches. All of us can only do the best we can with the hands we're dealt.

I had a horrid childhood and never doubted it was them. I know I caused no trouble at all, I have never been in any trouble.

But you have to try to move on. We drew the short straw on parents and so be it, I decided about ten years ago, after attending a course that it was not going to effect the rest of my life.