When Children Go Silent: How to Protect Yourself and Not Lose Hope

The phone is silent. Day after day, silence. And the same question keeps coming back to me:
“Why? Why are my own children, whom I raised, nurtured, and loved with all my heart, suddenly becoming strangers? Why are they silent, don’t they ring, and do they answer curtly and unemotionally?”

It’s as if the heart has shrunk to the size of a needle’s eye. A mixture of resentment, anger, and pain rages within.

You want to cry injustice, accuse, demand. But where is the self-respect?

Let’s try to talk about it without blame or bitterness. Let’s seek answers that don’t tear us apart, but that bring us together.

1. Acknowledge your emotions, but don’t let them rule you.

When children act cold or distant, a storm is brewing inside them. This is normal; you’re human.

Allow yourself to feel everything: pain, suffering, disappointment. But don’t let these feelings determine your actions.

It’s important to keep a clear mind. Tell yourself,
“I’m hurting. I have the right to be hurt. But I’m not going to give in to that hurt.”
That’s not weakness; it’s maturity. It’s taking care of yourself.

2. Don’t expect gratitude and recognition

Hope lives in all of us: one day, children will realize, repent, come back with flowers and say,
“I’m sorry, Mom, you’re the best.”

But this rarely happens. And the waiting becomes an unbearable burden. The best thing to do is to stop waiting.