[Serious] Redditors who were hit by their parents as kids, how did it affect your life ?

When I was younger my dad used to spank my brother and I really hard for doing anything bad or anything he didn't like. My father came from a very traditional Japanese household so spanking children was very normal. Don't get me wrong though, my father is a very loving and nice person, but just doesn't know how to parent well. When I became a teenager I learned the what difference between good and bad parenting was and learned that physical abuse only leads to more psychological problems. So one day my dad gets very mad at my little brother and is about to hit him, but that's when I basically get in front of dad and tell him I won't let him hit my brother. Words thrown back and forth, ended up with crying and my dad apologizing. After that day for the past 7 years my dad never laid a finger on us again.

Yes the abuse made us understand the consequences of our actions but it also taught us to be completely afraid of my father. To this day I am somewhat timid towards my father and whenever I am around him I can't help but think of the times that he hit me. I am somewhat of a shy/scared person and I can't help but think that my childhood is the reason why I am so reserved. So yeah that's how being hit as a child affected my life.

/r/AskReddit Thread