The daily life of a mother who has been solely responsible for four children was revealed, and her emotional collapse under the burden of childcare surfaced.
On the 6th, the Channel A variety show 'These days' parenting – My kid, precious as a gem' aired a story titled 'four siblings in tears and a mother suffering from burnout.'
On that episode, a couple raising four children aged 13, 10, 9 and 6 appeared. After both parents, who both work, went to work, the children, who were on vacation, were left alone at home and their daily life was revealed.
The mother faced piled-up dishes and a messy living room just before leaving work. Without a break she immediately started housework and told the children to help tidy up, but the children did not respond. Eventually the mother raised her voice, saying, "Hey, turn off the TV."
The next day the mother briefly went out near her home to meet a friend. With a noticeably brighter expression she talked with her friend and confessed, "Even when I was out for a short time I got 3 to 4 calls from the children." She added, "I think I got about 10 calls in a day."
In front of her friend the mother said, "I used to get annoyed and tell them to stop, but now I don't even have the energy to get angry," and she cried, saying, "They are so pretty and cute but I'm sorry I can't do well for them, and I wonder if because I'm their mother I couldn't give them more love." She confessed her condition, saying, "I keep getting angry at the kids."
Watching this, Dr. Oh Eun-young said, "She took tests, and the mother showed severe depressive symptoms, and the burnout level from parenting stress was also very high." By contrast, the father's two test results were within normal ranges.
The father reacted with embarrassment, saying, "I had no idea my wife was in such a difficult state."
Dr. Oh Eun-young diagnosed, "The mother is not a small-minded person. That is why she has managed four children until now," and added, "She is originally diligent and highly responsible, but because she bears most of the burden alone, she has no room to look into the children's minds."
Meanwhile, 'These days' parenting – My kid, precious as a gem' airs every Friday at 9 p.m. ◇ [photo] Channel A 'These days' parenting My kid, precious as a gem' broadcast screen capture
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