This could only have been because of his desire or curiosity to know who I was. Did she really care if I was related to Joseph or did she want to scold me like a servant? I still wonder why he asked me that question, but I can probably determine that it's because of the way I scolded Joseph. Our society is sensitive to child abuse and I understand that my actions could be described as such. I would not consider my disciplinary actions to be classifiable as child abuse. I am a strict parent but I am also a loving parent. I believe that children need structure and rules in their lives to become productive human beings in our society. I grew up with real physical abuse that scarred me for life. I don't allow wire hangers in my house for this reason. I don't blame my mother for the abuse, but I learned that it's part of our culture and it was the way she was raised. My husband and I were raised similarly even though we come from different cultures. We agree that we will raise our children as best we can, with the knowledge and through the mistakes we have