An Open Letter to Children of OFW

Chinkee Tan
Chinkee Tan

Do you have a parent who is an OFW?

Are you finding it difficult to accept the reality that they are physically absent and can’t journey with you as you are growing up?

Do you miss their being beside you all the time?

Children of OFWs, I would strongly encourage you to read this blog. I want to help by providing some clarity and perhaps even answer your questions as to why your parent/s need to temporarily go away?

It is the ideal that the family be complete – dad, mom and children. But because of hard times, one or both parents come to the point where they need to find work outside of the country where pay is higher, so that that can meet the growing needs of the family.

They would sacrifice their own happiness and comfort in exchange for a bigger salary. But in this kind of set up, the children who are left behind suffer the most. Most of the time, the children are young and don’t yet fully understand the reason behind the need for their parent/s to leave them.

So I am grateful that you have chosen to read this blog. I pray that after you have read this, you will learn to appreciate the sacrifice your parent/s made or have made.


Believe me, no parent would truly desire to first go to another country and leave their children in the care of someone else.  This is a sacrifice for them, so that they can give you a much better life. They just forget about themselves, but what fills their mind is how you can finish your education, where to get money for your needs in school, clothes, shoes and school bag. You are blessed to have a parent who is willing to give up his or her time with you just to make sure you are well provided for materially.

It is not easy to be separated from you parent/s, and also to be separated from your child/ren. As a child, you are more often left in the care of relatives and so you still have them, and your friends to keep you company. But for a parent, the situation is usually different. They are in the company of people who are strangers and add to that is the fact that they themselves are aliens in another country. But they would rather go through terrible homesickness, for you. So please, don’t repay their sacrifice by rebelling against them. They are going through enough heartbreak – that of being separated from you, and not being able to watch you grow and not being there when you experience important milestones in your life. You don’t know how this tears their heart and brings them to tears every night.


Contrary to what you may think, your parents are not selfish seeking work abroad. I have already mentioned this earlier but nevertheless, I will say it again. They are doing this for you and you alone. Would you rather that they stay and don’t get a job even if it would mean that you will have to stop studying? Even if it would mean you don’t get to buy the things you want, do the things you want and go to places you want? Would you honestly be able to survive without being able to buy your daily needs?

I don’t promote, or even encourage less time with the family. The best situation is still that the family is complete. However, circumstances dictate differently and working abroad is not just an option. In situations like this, we need to be more understanding of the choice that your parent makes. In fact, your parent is a selfless person because he or she has placed you over and above himself/herself as priority in life. Your happiness and future is that important to them.

So can I ask you a question?

When was the last time that you said “I Love You” to your parents?

When was the last time that you showed your appreciation to them?


In return, what can you do to repay or appreciate what your parent/s have done?

In what ways can you show your parent/s that you love them?

To receive more encouragements, please visit me at YouTube visionchinkee.

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