Source: Hemophilia news
Are caregiving and parenting the same?Caregiving is the activity or occupation of taking care of one who is sick or disabled. A parent is one who brings up and cares for another. As the mother of two sons with hemophilia, I believe that caregiving and parenting are not equal. Indeed, both roles are difficult and time-consuming. Most parents care for their children and hope to raise good, decent, healthy citizens. When a parent takes on the extra strains and stresses of their child’s illness, the parenting role gains a new length.
Their child’s overall wellbeing is important, but now their physical well-being is in question. It becomes the parent’s duty to support for the child in a way they never imagined.
People often accept that the roles of caregiver and parent are substitutable, but they are not. While parents are giving care to their children, when an illness becomes the focus for the entire family, the demands of parenting become devastating. Caregiving becomes intertwined with parenting duties, and there never seems to be any relief.
Also read: Smashing stereotypes: How gender-neutral parenting is gaining momentum in Indian families
