Dear friend, I understand you. Similar childhood of mine. Especially my mother was short-tempered and used to slap me, even in the road where other people could see. But my parents were very good people too and I recognise (they always encouraged me in my studies and career and they did all they could for my education): they also didn't want to see me in danger or compromising circumstances. But my mother came from a family where there was a strong military presence and very probably, both my parents come from Jews ancestry (ultra-orthodox in the case of my mother, then converted to Catholicism along various generations). In fact, my mother's behaviour was often the behaviour of a ultra-orthodox Rabbi Jew's daughter (but she was Christian Protestant and my father too: in any way, customs and culture remain). Ancestries culture have a strong influence in everyone's behaviour and temperament.