Seeing this prompt for this week the question that popped into my mind was: Should parents really share their struggles with their kids?
As we all know, a family is made up of a father, mother, and their child(ren). Parents sometimes are faced with difficulty when it comes to decisions about what to share with their children; they are part of the family, and sometimes they shouldn't be left out of the family affairs.
During my university days, I had this very close friend of mine. Her father was diagnosed with a disease, but her mother kept it from her. The sickness drained their resources; whenever my friend asked them for money, they would sometimes make excuses, and there was even a month that her monthly allowance was delayed.
It got to the point where my friend became sad, and she would often come to me lamenting that her parents were no longer taking care of her, and I reassured her that she was on their mind; maybe they are facing some difficulties at the moment that are causing strain on their finances; she should just be more patient.
Fast forward to the end of the semester; she returned home and discovered that her father was really sick; she was so sad and brokenhearted. She called me to tell me that how could they withhold such information from her all these while? I tried to console her; after she was totally calm, I told her to ask her parents the reason they withheld the information from her so she could get to know their own side of the story. When she did as I told her, her parents explained to her that they were trying to protect her from unnecessary stress and anything that would tamper with academic success because that's one of their priorities.
Some parents believe in openness and transparency, while others believe in shielding their children from the harsh realities of life. As much as sharing family challenges with a child can build the child, it can also be detrimental to another child. Every situation is unique, and there's no one-way solution that applies to all cases.
Sharing family struggles with children can help them become more empathetic and understanding; it can also help them to learn how to be resilient and build adaptability skills, while withholding information from them can protect them from mental stress and help them to avoid some burden that is more than their capacity.
In conclusion, deciding whether to share family struggles or not to share with the kids is a very complex issue that shouldn't be done carelessly; it also requires careful consideration. The maturity level and the emotional capacity of the children must be really considered, and we as parents, let us create a loving and supportive environment for our children so we can help them thrive in the face of challenges.
Thank you so much for always reading and engaging with my post. See you all in the next one.