I’m still honoring the choice of being “the responsible one,” a role that was never mine to begin with. From childhood, I was expected to act like an adult, cooking, cleaning, making decisions not just for myself but for my younger sister, who’s only a year younger than me. That parentified role followed me into adulthood, shaping how I show up in every space. Even now, when I’m out with friends, I slip into caretaker mode, monitoring everyone like a parent instead of allowing myself to just enjoy the moment. It’s not a choice I made, but one that was put on me early. I’m realizing that honoring it now means I’m still carrying the weight of a responsibility I never asked for, one that keeps me from experiencing true freedom and ease. I also realize I’m a work in progress and being dependable, organized and the one that’s ahead of any issue has become so much of my personality.
I applaud you for the courage to hold space for those experiences❤️ The parentification of children is a real wound that should be acknowledged and addressed. Once we honor it, we can then release it to rest in peace in the past
I’m still honoring the choice of being “the responsible one,” a role that was never mine to begin with. From childhood, I was expected to act like an adult, cooking, cleaning, making decisions not just for myself but for my younger sister, who’s only a year younger than me. That parentified role followed me into adulthood, shaping how I show up in every space. Even now, when I’m out with friends, I slip into caretaker mode, monitoring everyone like a parent instead of allowing myself to just enjoy the moment. It’s not a choice I made, but one that was put on me early. I’m realizing that honoring it now means I’m still carrying the weight of a responsibility I never asked for, one that keeps me from experiencing true freedom and ease. I also realize I’m a work in progress and being dependable, organized and the one that’s ahead of any issue has become so much of my personality.
I applaud you for the courage to hold space for those experiences❤️ The parentification of children is a real wound that should be acknowledged and addressed. Once we honor it, we can then release it to rest in peace in the past