Smacking

[SpandexTutu]

So I was born in the mid 60s and was regularly (probably daily) smacked by both parents, but mainly my dad. Not a light tap, but powerful hits to the head, legs - all over. My mum's would regularly say "not around the head" to my dad - this was her only concern - she didn't want any brain damage.
So given this was in the 60s and 70s - would you consider this to be abuse or was it just how kids were raised in those days?

Abuse!! I was there too and i wasnt easy. Got smacked once, as a teenager, calling my mom whore. I deserved it, totally. But it was the only time i Remember She did. My dad never.

No. We all got slaps (and that was normal 😮) but I wasn't aware of anything similar to what you describe happening to my friends though. I hope it didn't. Sorry you went through this.

As horrible as it is, yes I think this happened to a lot more children back then. Perhaps not to the extent you suffered though OP. Must have been pretty traumatizing for you.

I was also born in the mid-60s and I was never hit by my parents, not even once. So no, in my experience what you went through was not normal and was most certainly abuse.

I'm sorry that happened to you

No as a child of the 80’s I got a slap if I was being naughty and I probably rightly deserved it. I don’t blame my parents, they did what they thaught was right. I have a great, close relationship with them.

Male. Born in the 70s. My Dad never smacked me, it was always my Mum and she’d use the back of a wooden hairbrush, a slipper or sometimes her hand if neither of those were handy.

She continued up until the point I was big enough to prevent her from doing it, (by holding her arms) at which point my Dad said if I ever raised a hand to her I’d be out on my ear!

For your mum to be concerned enough to be warning your dad - I would say that is athe least an amber light, if not red.

Personally I think intentionally inflicting physical pain on a child is despicable and totally unnecessary.

Any argument in favour of parent inflicting physical pain on a child could be used by a husband to beat his wife.

Both are horrific and should be illegal

Yes, abuse.

I didn't think twice about it for years - but now I have raised my own DC, I could not imagine any circumstance where an adult hitting a small child on a daily basis was ok. So I'll be honest, it is now seriously impacting my view of my DM (NC with dad).

Got smacked once, as a teenager, calling my mom whore. I deserved it, totally

Actually no you didn't. No one deserves to be slapped or hit. She was fully entitled to sanction you but slapping you was wrong. Would your first instinct be, if a stranger on the street called you a whore to hot them? Of course not.

It's hard isn't it op. To view your parents like this. My ddad was dreadfully neglectful and often violent but his memory of our childhood seems to be all rosy and Blyton-esq.