Hello. Did you know that the Deaf Parents' Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of April.? And well, it turns out that this coming Sunday we will be celebrating it. So, if you know anyone deaf person who has already become a dad or mom, celebrate it with them.
The celebration of Deaf Mom-Dad Day It was started by an organization called CODA International. CODA is the name given in English to children of Deaf parents (Children of Deafs adults). In Mexico Instead you will find that we usually use the term HOPS (Hearing Children of Deaf Parents).
This organization was founded in 1989 by a group of Hopas who wanted to connect with others who shared their unique experience. Since then, the organization has grown and expanded around the world, providing support and resources to Hopas and their families. Each family has its peculiarity and its challenges to overcome. We know that there are no perfect families. In fact, session #21 of this column was titled “Perfectly Dysfunctional Families” trying to put the previous reflection on the table.
For hearing children of Deaf parents, parenting can be an experience with its own particularities, unlike children of the same age when their parents are hearing people. You've probably heard of the movie “CODA.” There is another French film “The Belier Family”. That's the version I like, I'll share it with you. I invite you to see one of both. It could be a good proposal for the weekend. Even if you do not have Deaf family members or friends close to you who are parents, this can open a little bit of the panorama to the reality of families made up of Deaf parents.
For hearing parents with Deaf children, as we have already mentioned on occasion, the experience of raising their own children is not always easy and many parents over the years take charge of many things in the lives of their Deaf children. This makes it difficult for many hearing parents to promote autonomy and independence in their children. Well, the truth is that children can also adapt to the fact that parents always decide. It is worth saying that this is a phenomenon that also appears in normal hearing families.
When at some point these Deaf children are no longer so minor and suddenly find a partner and become parents, for the now grandparents a new stage begins that can also be lived along the same lines as what happened with the child who became a father. You may wonder, will my Deaf son be able to take care of his daughter? But of course! Deaf people are not subject to interdiction and have legal, moral, psychological capacity, etc. to take care of their children. We cannot say that deafness is synonymous with inability to parent. Let's not get confused. And although there may be Deaf people who do not have the emotional capacity or the will to become parents, the truth is that it is a possibility that different types of people also face.
I hope that to the extent that we can talk as a society about these issues and make them visible, the barriers that prevent the full inclusion of people and the enjoyment of all their rights will come down. Even the possibility of becoming parents.
This day, then, becomes an opportunity for Hopas to come together and share their experiences and for Deaf parents to celebrate the opportunity they have to transmit their language and culture through the upbringing of their children and for society to in general learn more about the culture and family of Deaf parents.
Until next week. Peace and good.
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