Man Whose Parents Never Went To Any Of His School Performances Shares How Much That Deeply Affected Him — ‘Show Up For Your Kids’
It still hurts him years later.
Eric Lysenko | Shutterstock We all remember the feeling of being a kid at a recital or awards ceremony, looking out into the audience to see who came to support us. Some of us are blessed to never have felt disappointment in those moments, but others were not so lucky. Many children looked out into the crowd during important events and didn’t see their parents there to cheer them on. This was the case for TikTok creator Chris Bautista.
One man is using TikTok to remind parents how important it is to be there for their children.
In a video posted recently, Bautista reacted to other videos of the moments when children looked out into the audience and spotted their parents.
“I just went through like, a deep dive into videos of like, kids spotting their parents in like, assemblies and I just can’t stop crying,” he said, which he explained through tears is something he never experienced.
“I was like, just instantly transported to like, being that kid standing on like, a stage, and like, scanning like, the auditorium to find [someone] that like, was there for me, and like, never did,” he shared. “I’m like, in my 30s now crying about this.”
It may not seem like a big deal, but research actually proves that parental involvement at school, including at school events like performances, is vital to children’s wellbeing. From teacher meetings to school performances, parent involvement has been linked to kids with better social skills and better academic performance.
Bautista’s fellow TikTok users agree with him. “I was disappointed so many times,” one wrote in a comment. “My kid will never feel that. I will be at every event.” Another said, “This has me crying! My parents never showed up when I was a kid but I never miss an activity my kids are in.”
There are different ways to show your kids you’re there for them.
Unfortunately, showing up to every school function is not feasible for everyone. One commenter said she was “[crying] as a full-time working mom.” Someone replied, saying, “My mom worked nights and wasn’t able to be there for a lot, but I know she wanted to. I know she sacrificed for me.”
Education Week does acknowledge that there are different levels and types of parental involvement in education. They explained that at-home parental involvement, like reading and discussing school, is equally beneficial. Even if you can’t be there for your child at school functions, there are still plenty of opportunities to show them you care about what’s going on for them there.
Bautista acknowledged that not having that support has had a huge effect on him. He shared, “Those little kids grow up to be like, broken adults.”
Whether you can be there or not, it’s always important to let your child know that you are there for them emotionally, supporting them every step of the way through their education. But, if you can be there, do it. This is something that Bautista encouraged strongly.
“Parents out there, if like, you think it’s insignificant watching your kid dressed up as an elf singing ‘Jingle Bells,’ [it] might not seem like it matters that much, but just like, go,” he said.
Even if it feels like it doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things, it matters a lot to the child who sees their parents supporting them.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.