In her new autobiography Let’s Talk About Pep, Sandy “Pepa” Denton has been open about the abuse she suffered during her childhood and at the hands of ex-husband Anthony “Treach” Criss. But the mom of two is determined to end the cycle with her children Egypt and Tyran.
“People forget that verbal abuse is equally unhealthy [as physical abuse],” she told Essence magazine. “My kids used to see me crying and depressed all the time, and that can affect kids as well.”
Pepa said the abuse has made daughter Egypt, who turns 10 next week, very sensitive to her mommy’s moods.
“Now, if I get a little down or sad and my daughter notices and asks whether I’m okay, I say, ‘Yes, I’m fine. Mommy’s just trying to figure something out.’ She doesn’t like it when I act antsy or confused, so I have to say to myself, ‘Okay, let me relax.’”
Pepa said she’s raised 18-year-old Tyran to be “a really decent guy.
“I constantly talk to him about how to treat a woman…He tells me everything.”
She’s also made sure to keep the lines of communication open with Egypt.
“Because of the molestation I experienced as a child, I feel nervous for [Egypt], so I make sure to ask her those questions … I always have to tell her that she has to tell me if anyone bothers her, and that I won’t be mad at her because I love her, because silence kills and people who abuse depend on their victim’s silence as a tool to continue to victimize others.”
Pep’s gone through an awful lot, so it?s wonderful to see she?s so vigilant to ensure her kids don?t suffer the same way.
Tags: abuse, children, parenting, Pepa, Sandy DentonShare This
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