Sairi, a 'voluntary unwed mother,' has once again expressed her conviction of being honest with her son, Zen, about their 'home without a dad' from the very beginning. His heartfelt confession is resonating deeply with many.
In the YouTube channel 'Oh Eun-young's Bucket List' released on the 11th, a candid talk continued under the theme 'Confession for a son.' On that day, a single parent appeared and shared concerns about how to explain the absence of the maternal grandmother due to abuse and separation, and Sairi cautiously opened up, drawing on her own experiences.
Sairi said, “At first, I tried to hide the fact that Zen has no dad. I even practiced lying to create a normal story like, ‘There was a dad, but we separated before you were born.’ However, I eventually decided not to hide the truth and shared the background of that decision: ‘Mom asked, “Do you want to live a life of lies forever?” I felt that I should teach my child to live honestly, and starting with a lie from the very beginning didn’t feel right.’
In fact, Sairi had already revealed this philosophy on Channel A’s 'Dad is a Flower Youth' aired last October. At the time, he shared a scene where he calmly told Zen while reading a picture book, 'Our home doesn’t have a dad,' conveying his genuine hope that the child would naturally accept it. He said, 'A close single mom friend said, “All the books have dads; I don’t know how to explain that.” But I didn’t beat around the bush. It’s something they will find out eventually.' He continued, 'I told him without saying it sadly, “He’s just not here. It’s neither good nor bad; it’s just that way,” and added, “I thought that would help the child not get confused when faced with the truth later and accept himself as he is.”
Dr. Oh Eun-young also encouraged Sairi by saying, “The very fact that Sairi has imagined and contemplated various scenarios in advance resonates with me,” and expressed applause for her courage in honestly sharing a difficult decision.
Meanwhile, Sairi gave birth to her son, Zen, in 2020 using a donor sperm from a sperm bank in Japan without marriage. Publicly living as a 'voluntary unwed mother' is rare in the domestic broadcasting industry, and she is taking the lead in broadening public perceptions of new family forms and choices. Recently, she has been consistently sharing her daily life with her son through various broadcasts and YouTube content, garnering deep sympathy as a mother fulfilling love and responsibility.
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