Children Should Not Be the Bridge Between Worlds
Sometimes I think about what it means to grow up connected to more than one world.
There can be beauty in that.
Different perspectives.
Different ways of communicating.
Different ways of understanding people.
As a Deaf parent, I have spent time reflecting on the difference between belonging to multiple worlds and feeling responsible for holding them together.
The two are not the same.
A child may move comfortably between spaces.
A child may value those connections.
A child may feel proud of what they understand.
All of those things can be true.
But when a child begins carrying conversations, expectations, emotions, or responsibilities between adults, something changes.
The role becomes heavier.
What should be connection can start to feel like responsibility.
The more I reflect on this, the more I believe children deserve the freedom to belong without feeling responsible for holding everything together.
Connection should never come at the cost of childhood.
Children should not be the bridge between worlds.
This reflection comes from my perspective as a Deaf parent, shaped by my family, my experiences, and the CODA voices I have listened to over time. It is not about speaking for every CODA, but about recognising a pattern that deserves care.
