Don't Minimize What You Did

[MainerMikeBrown]

It's one thing if you do something that's wrong but it's not a super-major mistake. Your only human.

However, if you do something awful to another, such as abusing your child, then you have no right to minimize it by saying that you "made a mistake."

A guy I know was abused for years by his father during his childhood. And just before the father died, he appoligized for what he did. But it was too little too late.

Yeah, he appoligized when he knew he had only a little bit of time left. In another words, he appoligized when it became convenient.

We all make mistakes, but not like that!

 

[MainerMikeBrown]

Who would want to be mean to a child anyway?

Those who do take their frusterations out on a child are real brave.

 

[dancingpotato]

Those who are cruel to their children usually have some kind of illness.

 

[MainerMikeBrown]

A childhood friend of mine lived with abusive grandparents. And these grandparents certainly had an illness. They'd fly off the handle over nothing quite often.

If someone is verbally abusing their child, deep down they know it. And since their's never been a better time to seek professional help considering the advances in psychiatric medications, these abusive people can do something about their issues. But some never do and keep treating their kids like garbage.

 

[Kyle B]

I don't think that claiming something was a "mistake" necessarily minimizes it. At least the person who admits they made a mistake recognizes that they did wrong.

Something like child abuse is most likely chronic and isn't just one "mistake".

 

[dancingpotato]

Until someone recognises they have an illness, it's very hard to do something about it. And sometimes things become a way of life, they might know its wrong but become so used to the lifestyle, they continue to do it.

 

[MainerMikeBrown]

You would think that a parent who was abused as a child would never want to treat their own children the same way. But many abusive parents rationalize that the way they treat their children isn't as bad as how their parents treated them as kids. They're in denial.

However, an abusive parent can only be in denial for so long. Deep down if you treat your kids like dirt, you know it, don't you?