A 75-year-old grandmother has shared her concerns about her son’s family, fearing he is struggling to balance work while raising two young children who have never attended school.
Birth certificate problems prevent children from going to school
Her son got married about 10 years ago and has two children, aged 9 and 7. His wife is an Orang Asli who only completed primary school, and the family mainly communicates in Malay.
The family’s biggest challenge is that neither child’s birth certificate includes the father’s name, preventing them from enrolling in school. Although her son had previously sought advice on the adoption process and school registration, he was unsure how to proceed. With work taking up most of his time, the issue has remained unresolved.
Children struggle with speech and communication
According to the grandmother, her daughter-in-law is uncomfortable living with her, so the couple continues to stay in a house on the plantation and rarely interacts with others. She also believes her daughter-in-law struggles to guide and educate the children.
As a result, both children have poor communication skills. They barely speak and do not even call their father “Dad” or refer to her as “Grandma.”
Behavioral issues and refusal to study
The grandmother described the children as mischievous and unwilling to study. Although their father regularly buys them exercise books, they rarely complete any schoolwork. Instead, they spend most of their time playing and often end up fighting with each other.
Wanting to help, the grandmother suggested that one of the children stay with her during the day so she could look after and teach him before his father picked him up after work.
However, she refuses to let the child stay overnight after he once lit a candle in the bedroom and accidentally burned a hole in the bedsheet. The incident left her worried that a more serious accident could happen.
A grandmother doing her best despite her age
At 75 years old, the grandmother says her hearing has deteriorated, making it difficult for her to care for the children full-time. While she wants to support her son, she admits she no longer has the strength or energy to take on such a responsibility.
Her biggest concern is that her son is trying to juggle work while managing the children’s upbringing and education. She fears the responsibilities may eventually become too overwhelming for him to handle alone.
Children constantly sneak food
Besides the educational challenges, the grandmother also shared that the children often sneak food instead of eating proper meals. They would finish whatever food they could find in the fridge, including fish, meat, and other ingredients. To prevent everything from disappearing, she has resorted to locking some food away in another room.
Feeling helpless, the grandmother is now hoping for advice on how her family can overcome these challenges and provide the children with a better future.
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