Mental wellbeing: When a child becomes the caregiver

Psychologist Shristi Kharel explains how children who grow up managing their parents' emotions carry the weight of parentification.

Some children learn to read the room before they learn to understand themselves. They know which tone in a parent’s voice means trouble, when to stay quiet, when to step in and smooth things over. From the outside they look mature, dependable and wise beyond their years. But what goes unnoticed is the cost of a childhood spent managing others’ emotions.