Being a parent is tough. Being a parent in Ukraine is a challenge

Among all the responsibilities people have towards each other, parenthood is probably the most challenging. It has never been easy, regardless of the country. The first and foremost thing is a huge responsibility for another human being, one who cannot manage their life without a parent’s guidance and care. 

Speaking of Ukraine, parenthood is even more challenging due to several factors. As of now, the first and biggest challenge is safety. Because of the war in Ukraine, there are few spots where parents can feel secure enough for their children. The reason is not only drones and missiles attacking Ukrainian towns and cities. It is also about the unstable economic situation when people cannot be sure that they will not lose their jobs tomorrow and have the resources to feed their children. 

Speaking of employment, this has always been another important issue in Ukraine, not only during the war. Millions of Ukrainians have long been traveling abroad, mainly across Europe, in search of jobs with better salaries. It results in millions of families not living together anymore and millions of children having to do without one of the parents or sometimes even both. Family ties are damaged.

On the other hand, as in any country, parenthood in Ukraine brings a lot of joy and happiness. By the way, unlike many European countries, in Ukraine, people tend to marry and give birth to children at a younger age. This might be the reason why parents have stronger bonds with their children and understand them better. The generation gap is not so big.

Probably, the greatest reward of parenthood in Ukraine is the sense of accomplishment because, despite all the challenges, people manage to give birth and raise a wonderful new generation.