Child Abuse Effects dot com Video Reading From Chapter Womanhood

by Darlene Barriere - Webmaster
(Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada)

Have you ever wondered how your parents' childhood experiences have affected the decisions they made about what was and wasn't (is and isn't) appropriate for you as a child?

This week's video reading, titled Womanhood, now ready to view on this site at My Child Abuse Story discusses this issue.

I was 7 years old when my mother sat me down for the "menstruation talk." And though her doing so does not constitute child abuse, I was much too young to understand what she was trying to tell me.

Why would she sit me down for this talk at such a young age?

Mother grew up in a home that was rife with child abuse and severe neglect. No one had ever talked to her about her body and what was natural for her body to go through. It was a taboo subject; a subject that was deemed unholy and dirty. She was 16 years old when she started her period; so of course she thought she was dying when she started bleeding "down there."

Yes, when she had that talk with me she was over-compensating for what happened to her. And yes, she didn't really have a good grasp on what was and wasn't age appropriate. But when it comes to this situation, it is the one and only time where I can honestly say my mother's motives were pure.

Perhaps many of you reading this can relate to my mother's experience. Either way, you're sure to find this week's reading thought-provoking as I discuss both the upside and downside of the way this mother-daughter tradition went in my childhood home....

If you've missed any previous readings, they are all available for viewing at the link above; just click on the thumbnail image of the excerpt you would like to watch and listen to when you get there.

Whether or not you have purchased my e-book, don't miss any of these readings. It won't cost you anything but about 10 minutes of your time. Besides, you might find that watching them is immensely helpful. You'll learn:

• more about my child abuse story
  
• the effects child abuse had on me
  
• how I found my way from child abuse victim to child abuse survivor triumphant
  
• you'll also get a peek into the decision-making process of an author during the writing phase

I hope you'll take the time to visit my story page to listen to my weekly readings. You don't have to buy my e-book, though I sure would appreciate it if you did. But seriously, you may find yourself able to relate on many levels as you watch and listen. After all, relating to someone else's pain can be comforting and therapeutic because you know you're not alone in that pain. You may also find that the lessons I've learned along my path of healing and recovery from child abuse help pave the way to yours.


Darlene Barriere
Webmaster: www.child-abuse-effects.com
Violence & Abuse Prevention Educator
Author: On My Own Terms, A Memoir

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