How the Absence of a Mom Affects a Child

A mother is the first person that babies get to know even before they are born. Living inside their mom's belly, they already get familiarized with her voice and memorized the rhythm of her heartbeat. But what happens if the mother is taken away from the baby's life?

When a mother is not present in the lives of a child, major consequences happen to his development. A child's overall development is affected by the relationship he has with both parents. Sometimes even when the mother is present, she is not able to spend time with her children due to other commitments such as work, and other factors.

What Mothers Give to Her Child

A mother is a person who introduces her child to the world. She is the first to provide nourishment and care for her little one. The mother-child bond is an indispensable part of human existence.

Growing up, the mother is always there to give comfort, soothe, calm and encourage her child, and drive away fear. The mother is the one who the child runs into whenever he faces any problems in life and seeks unconditional support. So if the mother is absent, the child develops deep insecurity and becomes a totally different person.

Consequences of an Absent Mother

Right after birth, the mother is the most important figure in the child's life. If the mother goes missing, the child's support system becomes incomplete. Listed below are the negative characteristics that a child develops in the absence of a mother.

Negative feelings.

A child would feel lonely and worthless because he does not receive the care and affection that he needs. This results in him harboring anger and frustration against the world. And when this happens, the child tends to block feelings of love, which results in poor behavior.

Poor behavior.

A child who lacks a mother figure makes unreasonable demands and hurts himself or others. This happens if either of the parents is absent. Both the father and mother's presence are important to the development of the child's behavior because it makes him feel loved.

Problems with socialization.

When a child grows up without a mother, he tends to have problems with social interaction. It could possibly happen due to lack of trust or because no one taught him the necessary social skills that he needs to connect with his peers.

Emotional imbalances.

A child becomes easily irritable and depressed because he could not control his feelings. And most of the time, the child would have low self-esteem and lack motivation in his life. Sometimes a child would feel anxious and terrified whenever he has to be alone. And the worst is when he loses their trust in other people.

Health issues.

A child who misses his mom may lose his appetite and have trouble sleeping. And when a child does not eat well, lacks sleep, has an emotional imbalance, and harbors negative feelings, his well being is greatly affected resulting in health issues.

How to Help a Child Cope When the Mother is Absent

There are ways to help a child cope with an absent mother. Below are some tips for parents or guardians.

Be the mother figure.

Any parent or guardian can act as a mother figure to a child. This way, the gap in the child's life will be filled.

Look for a substitute.

Other than the father, relatives like aunts, grandmothers, or any close family can act as a maternal figure. Do not force the relationship. Let the child learn to trust and form a bond with the relative.

Explain the situation to the child.

If the mom goes missing, tell it to the child. Do not sugarcoat, nor tell lies, because you will only lose their trust once the truth comes out. The sooner he knows, the sooner he will learn to adjust.

It is not the end of the world when the mother of a child is absent. As a father or guardian, it may be difficult to gain the child's trust but with patience and perseverance, you can. More often, the quality of time spent far outweighs the amount of time spent together. It would be better to focus on giving your full attention to your little one. This will make him feel more loved and valued.