<p>I was beat with a belt quite a few times, as well as with other miscellaneous items like spoons and brushes. </p>
<p>I remember hoping that my mom would be the one to punish me instead of my dad, because she didn’t hit as hard. Of course I cried and tried to run away at times, but I knew that once they pinned me down it would be worse so I stopped that.</p>
<p>I can’t say that it adversely affected me, I don’t think I was hit past middle school at the latest. Of course, other issues with my parents certainly had an impact (alcoholism, anger, etc) but I definitely don’t feel like I’ve been scarred from being hit with a belt. I never associated anything beyond “uh oh I really messed up this time” whenever I was hit and when it was over wasn’t scared of my parents or anything. I respected them, for sure, and I believe corporal punishment was a good deterrent for me. My parents weren’t my buddies or people I was allowed to argue with. It was yes ma’am no ma’am and no back talk allowed. We weren’t equals, there was a definite division of power. </p>
<p>However, I still love them a whole lot and I talk to them a few times a week. I’m 19 years old and have clear plans for my life, so getting hit with a belt certainly didn’t completely derail me.</p>