Involved parents contribute so much to their children’s happiness. They’re like a personal cheerleading squad, who encourage and motivate the kids to pursue their dreams and celebrate their achievements, creating an environment filled with unconditional love and support.
However, Reddit user Maleficent_Round1611 said that when his sister needed their old folks the most, they refused to step up. After the teenager lost her voice, the mom and dad didn’t bother to learn sign language, citing a lack of free time, and pushed her to find other ways to communicate with them.
The boy eventually confronted their parents about it, hoping to talk some sense into them, but everything resulted in a huge fight, so now he seeks an impartial take from the outside to help him gain a better understanding of the situation.
This teenager learned sign language to stay close to his sister, but their parents wouldn’t
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
So he sat them down and listed everyone else who had
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
Image source: Maleficent_Round1611
Learning sign language isn’t an easy feat, but the parents didn’t even try
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
According to the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, on average, it takes 8 or even more years to become fluent in American Sign Language (ASL).
But for simple conversations, you only need about a third of that — a person is considered a novice signer after completing Level 3 of ASL (out of a total of 10).
Writer and polyglot Mathias Barra, who has also dabbled in it, thinks you don’t have to grind day in and day out.
“It’s okay not to have learning a language your priority. All you need is to have it be a part of your life,” Barra explained. Go back to it often and be consistent. Don’t push yourself too much if you want to avoid [feeling overwhelmed.]”
Having a strong ‘Why’ (in the case of the Redditor’s parents, the ability to be able to efficiently speak to their daughter) really helps the process too.
“Make the language colorful by [forging] a real connection to it … As long as you’re heading toward a clear goal, you’re on the right path,” Barra added. “Every single language-learning journey will take you to its own magical place. I can assure you that more than anything else.”
Unfortunately, judging from the original post, it sounds like the mom and dad weren’t interested in that and instead prioritized their own convenience.
As people reacted to his story, the teen joined the discussion in the comments
