Babies are the sweetest creatures on Earth; Chubby, round, happy and innocent without a care in the world. A Parent looks at this beautiful creation and plans for it’s future, vowing to mold it into whatever the parent thinks it should be. So the parent raises the child, works hard to provide, pours their life and love into Parenthood. The parent wants to shape their child’s future into what they want, which is absurd. As a child grows, he/she picks up new lessons, ambitions and dreams, and is mostly influenced by alot from the media, friends and society. All a parent can do is teach and hope.

I never miss to hear stories of heartbreaks such as; A child saying hurtful things to their parent and ruining relationships, a child continuously rebelling, a parent getting calls from school because of their child’s misbehaviour, a child repeatedly disobeying their parent, calls because of a child whose been arrested, older children alienating themselves from their parents, a child ending up in a prison instead of pursuing a career etc etc.

A parent is led to a point in life where they blame themselves and question why they signed up for Parenthood? As much as the child brings them happiness, the child also contributes to the parent’s heartbreaks, which are inevitable.

Here are a few tips on how to deal with heartbreaks from your child:

  • Do not react in anger but with love and empathy ( Focus on what the child went through instead of what the child did).
  • Give yourself some space to feel the sadness and work through the pain before confronting your child.
  • Do not blame yourself: It’s impossible to control how your child’s life runs, all you can do is try.
  • Let the child learn from their mistakes without interfering. That way, the child will be more likely to shy away from repeating the mistake.
  • Do not withdraw your love from the child, after all, it’s only parents who can have their hearts broken and still love with every bit.
  • It’s important to remember that every mistake is a learning opportunity for your child and one day they will come to appreciate your efforts as a parent ( especially when they have children of their own!).
  • Lastly, don’t ever get tired of getting down on your knees and interceding for your child.