Your Child's Mental Health and Studying Abroad
Sending a child abroad for education without comprehensive financial, emotional, psychological, social, mental, and parental preparations is tantamount to putting the child at risk of failure.
Although there are instances of students succeeding in overseas education independently or with limited parental support or guardianship, there are also cases of less favorable outcomes. As a Canadian immigration lawyer, I have seen too many of such cases.
Rather than blindly following societal trends, prioritize your child’s unique circumstances and well-being when making such decisions. It is wiser to have a domestically educated child who enjoys good mental health, rather than a foreign educated one grappling with mental health issues caused by culture shock, inadequate funds, loneliness, lack of support, racism, abuse, inadequate preparation and others, leading to health issues, confusion, sense of failure, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, resentment and eventual detachment from loved ones. Exercise prudence in choices that can impact your child’s mental and future well-being.
Johnson Babalola, a Canada and Nigeria based lawyer, leadership consultant, storyteller and corporate emcee, is a public affairs analyst. Follow him for discussions on real life issues that affect us all.
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