Childhood Should Not Be Reduced by Responsibility

Part of the CODA series – exploring identity, connection, and lived experience.

This story is shared in BSL with English subtitles to support access across audiences.

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Some children step into responsibility earlier than they are meant to.

What begins as helping can quietly take up space that once belonged to something else.

Moments of play do not always stay untouched.

And something small, but important, can be left behind along the way.

This story comes from my perspective as a Deaf parent, shaped by listening to CODA voices and stories over time.