I don’t know where things went wrong, but my children have never been close to me, even from a young age. While some might assume I haven’t spent enough quality time with them, the reality is that I’ve devoted most of my leisure time to being with them since they were little. My full-time job isn’t particularly demanding in terms of time, so I’ve always tried to be present. When they were younger, I took them to parks almost every weekend. As they got older and busier, I drove them to school every weekday and to tuition centers on weekends. We went on overseas trips regularly during school holidays. I supervised their schoolwork and participated in their school activities, like parent-teacher meetings.
At home, I cook dinner almost every day without fail. I wake up at 6 a.m. to go to the wet market and buy breakfast for them, even though we have a maid. I feel blessed to be able to cook meals they enjoy. Have they ever expressed appreciation? Never.
I also try to spend quality time with them. My daughter sometimes allows me to spend 30 minutes chatting in her room, but my son never does. He literally pushes me out if I try to spend time with him.
All they care about is their mother. When they come into our bedroom, they ignore me completely and go straight to her, without even acknowledging my presence. I celebrate their birthdays every year without fail, but I doubt they even remember mine, let alone celebrate it. Their mother gets thank-you notes or cards on Mother's Day. In contrast, I’ve never received a single thank-you note or card on Father’s Day or my birthday. Don’t I deserve one?
Of course, I’m not without my faults. I could be harsh when helping them with homework, especially when they were younger. But I’ve never done anything unfaithful to the family or anything morally or legally wrong that would bring shame upon them.
Increasingly, I feel like a rejected and unappreciated person in my own home. Is it time for me to leave this family?
At home, I cook dinner almost every day without fail. I wake up at 6 a.m. to go to the wet market and buy breakfast for them, even though we have a maid. I feel blessed to be able to cook meals they enjoy. Have they ever expressed appreciation? Never.
I also try to spend quality time with them. My daughter sometimes allows me to spend 30 minutes chatting in her room, but my son never does. He literally pushes me out if I try to spend time with him.
All they care about is their mother. When they come into our bedroom, they ignore me completely and go straight to her, without even acknowledging my presence. I celebrate their birthdays every year without fail, but I doubt they even remember mine, let alone celebrate it. Their mother gets thank-you notes or cards on Mother's Day. In contrast, I’ve never received a single thank-you note or card on Father’s Day or my birthday. Don’t I deserve one?
Of course, I’m not without my faults. I could be harsh when helping them with homework, especially when they were younger. But I’ve never done anything unfaithful to the family or anything morally or legally wrong that would bring shame upon them.
Increasingly, I feel like a rejected and unappreciated person in my own home. Is it time for me to leave this family?