LATINAS BE LIKE
Hands up for anyone who can relate?
I remember helping my mom fill out her divorce papers when I was 15 and going down to the courthouse with her to translate what the judge was saying.
Parentification is very common in immigrant communities especially because of the language barrier.
“Instead of giving to their child, the parent takes from them. In this role reversal, the parent may delegate duties to the child. At other times, the child voluntarily takes them on.
Either way, the child learns that taking over the duties of the parent is the way to maintain closeness to them.
Parentification can also happen when life throws curveballs, like:
The parents are divorced or one parent has died.
The parents are immigrants and have difficulty integrating into society.
The family experiences financial hardship.” Source: Healthline
Giving children some responsibility can actually help increase self-efficacy and self-esteem but when it goes too far, you get the unhealthy balance that so many of us have experienced.
Again, therapy is highly recommended for anyone dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, etc that may be linked to parentification. Please don’t feel like you just have to power through these things alone. It can get easier with time if you work on it.