The Effects of Parental Absence

You’ll come at some point that you have to burn time at work reading news and current events especially during after hours. And two months ago, it wasn’t a different story but the one that I’ve read was extraordinary yet a common scenario. It is actually happening to so many families when they opted to work abroad hoping to find a greener future in order to send their kids to school or support their family and have at least lived a descent life.

The article that I’ve read, entitled “Tough on the child, tougher on the mother” was all about a family who by circumstances was forced to live separately with their kids because of government rules and or they are not earning that much to reach the stipulated ceiling of that government rule. And according to that article, “many expatriate women are forced to be absentee mothers out of necessity” and many are living away from their children for a long time not merely by choice but dictated by life’s circumstances that is way beyond their control, at least most of the situation.

It was indeed a hard truth that there’s nothing else that they can do and are forced to make sacrifices for their future. But another hard truth, if not more, is the fact that some kids find it hard to understand what their parents are doing considering that it typically does not only involve physical separation alone but also emotional comfort and social presence. So most of the time many parents are left praying and hoping that their children one day will understand that what they are doing is for them so they can go to school and have a better life.

Yet the process of parental separation remains a very hard truth to accept and understand especially when you are pressed by force of circumstances knowing that infants develop attachment to adults at a young age who became consistent caregivers to them. And the effects of parental absence at a young age can be devastating and cruel not only to the child but to parents as well.

Image from thebump.com