A woman in California says she’s dealing with the effects of having an emotionally immature parent. How does she know that’s the issue on her plate? Well, her own mother hasn’t been caring for her father, who deals with a major health issue. Now, she’s speaking up about what it means to have an immature parent and the difficulties she faces.
Karina (@karinareyl) says that she has spent her life “dealing with an emotionally immature parent.” Karina’s father is a diabetic who is recovering from a stroke. Because of this, she says “his blood sugar should never go so long unchecked.” Unfortunately, she discovered that her mom has not been keeping up with her dad’s health. She says, “My mom has not been checking my dad’s blood sugar.” Karina discovered that her mom hadn’t checked her dad’s blood sugar for two straight weeks!
Karina took her mom to a nail appointment and found out that her mom had stopped checking his blood sugar because he couldn’t get the “machine to work.” She explained to her mom, “Maybe you’re not doing it right. You need to be calling the doctor to get something that is compatible.” Her mom had nothing to say about this. After the nail appointment, her mom asked that they all grab a bite to eat. However, Karina said they couldn’t go anywhere when they have “no idea” what her dad’s blood sugar is at. Karina said that speaking up upset her mom.
Back at their house, Karina checked her dad’s blood sugar meter and discovered the strips weren’t compatible with that particular model. Karina instructed her mom to take the machine to a California CVS to get the correct strips. She said this led to a “shouting match” with her mom yelling at her. She told her mom, “This is your job. Why are we waiting so long to get his blood sugar checked?” In this situation, Karina was feeling a lot like the parent.
Many commenters had something to say on Karina’s viral video, speaking out about parental immaturity. Though many commenters were on Karina’s side, others had a lot more to say about the subject. One suggested, “Maybe your dad can bring along his own snacks when he leaves the house and not rely entirely on your own. He should also be helping out! It’s also his own responsibility to be looking after himself. Patient and caregiver burnout is common!” However, another commenter reminded, “He had a stroke so he needs care.”
Other California commenters had suggestions for Karina. One stated, “Get him on continuous glucose monitoring and you can check his levels on your phone.” Another commenter shared their personal story with Karina’s, which sounds much like her own. They said, “My teenage brother is a T1D and my mom has taken NO effort to learn his care plan. He’s had it since he was 3 and she’s STILL waiting for me to come by and figure it out. It’s a never-ending cycle.”
Commenters continue to voice their comments and share stories about their own emotionally immature parents and having to take on a parenting role. This video continues to appeal to those who deal with these same instances both inside and outside their homes.
