By HELLEN GRACE AKOMAH
At 5:00 a.m. each morning in Kasoa, 34-year-old Ama Mansah (not her real name) begins her day long before the sun rises.
She prepares breakfast, irons school uniforms, packs lunch boxes, and gets her two children ready for school before joining traffic to her banking job in Accra.
By the time she returns home, dinner must be prepared, homework supervised, and household chores completed.
“Sometimes I feel like I am running on autopilot,” she admits quietly. “I love my children, but there are days I am so exhausted I just want silence.”
Ama’s story reflects the lived reality of many mothers across Ghana.
While society praises their sacrifices and resilience, experts warn that a mother’s wellbeing is closely linked to the emotional and psychological development of her children.
The silent weight of strength
In many African homes, mothers are described as the backbone of the family; nurturers, caregivers, peacekeepers, and emotional anchors.
Their strength is celebrated, their sacrifices admired, and their resilience expected.
Yet behind this admiration lies an uncomfortable truth: many mothers are pouring from empty cups.
From a young age, many Ghanaian women grow up hearing phrases like “Obaa yɛ den” to wit; a woman is strong.
Over time, however, strength has often been redefined as silent sacrifice.
In Ghana, women perform the majority of unpaid care and domestic work compared to men.
These responsibilities include childcare, cooking, cleaning, and caring for elderly relatives, often alongside full-time employment. For many mothers, this double workload leaves little room for rest, emotional recovery, or personal wellbeing.
According to global child development research, parental mental and emotional health plays a significant role in shaping children’s emotional stability, behaviour, and social confidence.
The shrinking support system
Traditionally, Ghana’s extended family system played a central role in child upbringing.
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and older siblings often shared childcare responsibilities, providing emotional and practical support to mothers.
However, urban migration, demanding work schedules, and economic pressures have gradually weakened these communal structures.
Many modern mothers now juggle career responsibilities and parenting duties with limited support systems.
The result is an increasing emotional and physical strain that often goes unnoticed.
A child’s first emotional teacher
Children learn how to understand and regulate emotions largely by observing their primary caregivers.
When a mother experiences prolonged stress or emotional exhaustion, it can unintentionally affect a child’s emotional development.
Ten-year-old Kwame, a primary school pupil in Kasoa, began displaying behavioural challenges in school.
His teachers noticed he had become withdrawn and frequently anxious.
Following counselling sessions involving his mother, it emerged that she had been battling severe work stress and financial instability after losing a previous job.
The emotional burden left her unintentionally detached from her son.
“I thought shielding him from my struggles was protecting him,” she later admitted. “I didn’t realise he was feeling my absence emotionally.”
Experts note that such situations are common but often overlooked.
When mothers thrive emotionally, children are more likely to feel secure, confident, and emotionally balanced.
When mothers struggle silently, children often absorb the impact in subtle but significant ways.
The emotional mirror between mother and child
Children, particularly during their formative years, depend heavily on emotional consistency from caregivers.
A mother experiencing chronic stress or burnout may struggle to provide steady emotional reassurance.
In homes where mental health conversations are still developing, children may misinterpret a mother’s exhaustion as rejection or emotional distance.
Over time, this can influence self-esteem, confidence, and emotional regulation.
Psychologists emphasise that children often mirror the emotional environments in which they are raised.
Homes filled with tension, suppressed emotions, or chronic stress can shape how children process relationships and handle challenges later in life.
Supporting mothers to support children
Addressing this challenge requires both cultural and structural change.
Parenting must be recognised as a shared responsibility.
Family members and partners play a critical role in supporting mothers emotionally and physically.
Workplaces can also contribute by implementing family-friendly policies such as flexible working arrangements, parental leave support, and mental wellness initiatives.
Communities must equally create safe spaces where women can openly discuss emotional struggles without fear of stigma or judgment.
Equally important is the need for mothers to give themselves permission to rest, seek help, and prioritise self-care.
Contrary to popular belief, self-care is not indulgence, it is survival.
Redefining strength in motherhood
True strength in motherhood should not be measured by silent endurance.
Rather, it should be reflected in the courage to acknowledge vulnerability, seek support, and create healthier emotional environments for families.
Investing in the wellbeing of mothers is, ultimately, an investment in future generations.
Children raised by emotionally supported mothers are more likely to grow into confident, emotionally stable individuals who contribute positively to society.
As conversations around mental health and family support continue to gain attention, I hope society will begin to redefine what it means to be a strong mother, not as one who suffers silently, but as one who recognises her needs and seeks balance.
Because when a mother’s cup is full, she does not only nurture her children, she nurtures the future.
