Responsibility Should Not Fall on Children
Sometimes I think about what happens when support is missing.
Not in dramatic ways.
In ordinary moments.
The moments where something needs doing, someone needs help, or a gap quietly appears.
As a Deaf parent, I have spent time reflecting on how easily responsibility can move towards the people who are closest.
Often, this happens without anyone intending it.
Families care for one another.
Children want to help.
Both things can be true.
But care and responsibility are not always the same thing.
When support is not clearly held, something can shift quietly.
Gaps do not always stay empty.
They are often filled by those closest.
What can look like care from the outside can sometimes place responsibility onto shoulders that were never meant to carry it.
The more I reflect on this, the more I believe children deserve the freedom to grow without feeling responsible for holding things together.
Responsibility should not fall on children.
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.
