Why Do Parents Leave Their Children?
Leaving your child behind is a reality,
Poverty and lack of resources are often the main factors. Some very young parents choose to adopt the child or leave it to other family members. In these cases, we are not talking about leaving his child in the formal sense, although some people will probably see it that way.
It is a matter of many facets to leave your child. The triggers, situations, and realities in each family are different and potentially traumatic for a child. The pain of these experiences runs deep and is often permanent. Growing up without a father or mother leaves an emotional gap that is almost impossible to fill.
Let’s take a closer look at this.
Why do parents leave their children?
We have all heard stories of real tragedies that you would not wish for your worst enemy. Despite the fact that we live in a “developed” society, there are still parents who leave their children behind.
Newborn infants still show up in unexpected places as a result of a mother who just could no longer and did not have the resources to have a child.
No two situations are alike. Some of them are understandable while others are not. Whatever the case, they usually have at least one thing in common: The decision to leave a child is not impulsive. As a rule, it is the dramatic conclusion of a long process of meditation and reflection.
Let’s take a closer look at the most common triggers:
Financial problems: Therefore, parents leave their children
Poverty, marginalization and lack of resources are common reasons why one or both parents would choose to leave their child. In this case, it is crucial to identify the problem and act as soon as possible to avoid these extremes.
Substance abuse and alcoholism
Substance abuse and social marginalization often go hand in hand. If one or both parents struggle with alcoholism, it can also lead to very difficult conditions for children. Children of alcoholic parents often experience being abandoned in two ways.
The first happens in the home with the neglect and violence that is often accompanied by alcoholism. The second is to be physically abandoned when the parents leave the child.
Unwanted pregnancy: Therefore, parents leave their children
Unwanted pregnancy is another common reason why parents leave their children behind. Rape is a possible cause, as are minors who become pregnant. Women and girls in these situations often feel alone and insecure about what to do.
Immature parents who do not want to be “bound”
Some people who become parents simply do not have the emotional maturity to take care of a child. After all, it is an enormous responsibility that is almost impossible to prepare for. Even if you seriously decide to have a baby, the reality can often be very overwhelming.
Overall, children are most often abandoned before they are one year old, although this can happen at any time. Whether the child is three, five or ten years old, parents can choose to travel and leave their responsibilities.
Relationship problems: Leaving to start over
If one wants a clear understanding of what it means to leave a child, it is important to look at relationship problems as a potential cause. Separation, infidelity, difficult divorces, and conflicts over contact and child support sometimes become so overwhelming that parents decide to leave their children.
- These experiences are especially difficult for children. Not only are they witnesses to their parents’ conflicts, but they often feel that they themselves are to blame for the problems or possibly to be abandoned.
- In many cases, the parent who leaves the family finds a new partner and starts a new family. No matter how difficult things may be with a romantic partner, however , it is still hard to imagine that someone would choose to leave their child.
In conclusion, the reasons why parents abandon their children are complex and often reprehensible. It is clear that there are some cases where one can understand the circumstances that have led to one leaving one’s child.
In other cases, however, there does not seem to be any sound explanation. Whatever the reason, we as a society should do everything we can to avoid these situations.
The absence of a mother or father leaves an incomplete void in a child’s life, and a painful scar that lasts well into adulthood.
