Actress says being the dependable one can make their struggles easy to overlook.
Actress Dimples Romana shared her thoughts on why breadwinners can sometimes feel like they are not their parents’ favorite child.
In a video she recently shared on social media, Romana offered a theory: It may not necessarily be because parents love their other children more, but because they have grown accustomed to relying on their breadwinner child.
According to Romana, parents may simply have become used to the fact that their breadwinner child will always do their best and find a way to handle things.
She noted that breadwinners are often perceived as the stronger ones in the family, making it easy for their struggles to be overlooked.
Romana illustrated this with a situation where a sibling tells their parents that they were not given anything. The parents, she said, might immediately apologize and attend to the child’s needs. But when the breadwinner says they are already tired, the response can be very different.
“And then kapag ikaw ang lalapit, ‘Ma, Pa, parang napapagod na ako,’ and they would tell you, ‘Kayang kaya mo ‘yan, ‘Nak. Lagi mo naman kinakaya ‘yan. Ikaw pa ba?’’” she said.
Being the dependable one does not mean being immune to exhaustion, Romana reminded. She then addressed families of breadwinners, reminding them that even those who appear strongest also have their limits.
“Reminder lang sa pamilya ng mga breadwinners na kagaya ko: Ang lahat ng malakas, napapagod din,” she said.
Romana also pointed out that breadwinners, who are often expected to give and provide for others, also need care and support themselves.
While breadwinners may not necessarily expect anything in return for what they do for their families, Romana said there is one thing they would appreciate hearing from their loved ones. “Hindi naman kami nage-expect ng kahit na ako pabalik. All we want is to hear you say, ‘Okay ka pa ba?’ kesa, ‘May extra ka pa ba?’” she said.
Romana’s message resonated with a familiar experience among breadwinners: being seen as the family member who can always cope, even when they are quietly struggling.
Her video also served as a reminder that being dependable does not mean a person never needs reassurance, rest or someone to check on them.
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