What Is Familiar Can Still Carry Weight
Sometimes I notice how easily responsibility can become part of a child's everyday life.
The more familiar something becomes, the less likely people are to question it.
As a Deaf parent, I have spent time reflecting on moments where children quietly become part of communication, access, and understanding between adults.
Often, it does not look dramatic.
It can look like helping.
It can look like being mature.
It can look like being responsible.
And sometimes those things are true.
But familiarity can make it difficult to see when responsibility has slowly become labour.
The child may not complain.
The adults may not realise.
Yet carrying something every day does not make it lighter.
The truth I keep returning to is that children should not have to earn their childhood through responsibility.
Familiarity should never be mistaken for fairness.
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.
