Suppressing Needs Can Become a Way to Survive
Sometimes I think about the needs children learn to put aside.
Not because they do not matter.
But because other things can feel more urgent.
As a Deaf parent, I have spent time reflecting on how children adapt to the environments around them.
They notice what is needed.
They notice what helps.
They notice what keeps things moving smoothly.
A child may decide not to ask for something.
A child may choose not to speak up.
A child may learn to make themselves smaller in ways that are difficult to see from the outside.
Sometimes this happens consciously.
Sometimes it happens so gradually that nobody notices, including the child.
The more I reflect on this, the more I believe every child deserves space for their needs to exist alongside the needs of others.
No child should feel that being easy to manage is the same thing as being okay.
Suppressing needs can become a way to survive.
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.
