Working parents need more appreciation, and we tell you how to help them.
When I was a kid, I was studying on my own and making sure I help out my mother as much as I can. This was not because I was asked to do any of it, but simply because I could see my mother wake up at 4 am to start her daily tasks, then head out for her teaching job and then come back home after 4 pm and finish all other chores.
In this article...
- Helping working parents
- Benefits of having working parents
So, taking care of my own studies and dusting the furniture on weekends was something I wanted to do to help out my mother.
My brother and I knew that our mother is a busy woman. However, we appreciated how she always took time out to listen to us. However, we also heard stories of other children of working parents who usually complained about their parents always being absent and too busy at work.
While children understand that their parents are doing the best they can, there are some times when children feel left out.
So, kids, I am here to tell you that I do (in a way) understand how you feel, and I guarantee that your parents are not intentionally doing this.
First thing to do is realise how hard it is for your parents to handle their professional responsibilities combined with domestic chores and social responsibilities. Everybody has the same limited 24 hours in a day, and your folks might be using and scheduling at least 18-20 hours from that. They do all this just to make sure that you get the best of life in every way possible. So, it is okay for you to feel that way some times but also make that you do not make them feel guilty for trying to take care of you.
Another thing to be thankful for in this case is that your parents are making you independent.
When I was young, I was asked to decide what do I want to order when we went out for dinners. I remember once when I wanted to go for a trip with my friends, my father asked me to do my research and tell him where would I like to stay — based on security, budget, sanitisation and such — or how many days would we want to stay there and which places do me and my friends want to explore. I made all enquiries through telephone and email, and at the end when I presented my proposal to my father, he was quite impressed and let me go on that trip.
I also learnt how to cook because once my parents had to rush somewhere and we didn’t have enough money to order food from any restaurant. Since then, I just see my parents cook something and end up cooking the same dish later on some other day, purely on the basis of my memory.
This way, working parents help children become independent. So, make the best of these teachings and learn how to take on responsibilities. This will also help you get good at decision making, especially when you grow up and it is time to start adulting.
When you do get some time with your folks, such as dinners and weekends, try to make the best of it. Instead of complaining, use this time to share updates and experiences from your day/week. This way you will spend quality time with your family and also make great memories.
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