KOR
Actor Shin Aela has shared her personal journey of raising her three children and her reflections on the role of a parent.
In a recent interview for the series Stories of Living for Christ (hereinafter referred to as Geusasae) with the international child development organization Compassion, Shin discussed her experiences in parenting, the true role of a parent, and the life values she has realized while working with Compassion.
Geusasae is an interview series by Compassion Korea that features the faith and sharing stories of various figures in our society. Previous guests who have shared their deep life stories and offered warm inspiration include Song Eun-i, Kim Beom-soo, the couple Park Wi and Song Ji-eun, and actors Yun Yu-Sun, Nam Bo-ra, and Baek Z Young.
In this interview, Shin identified parenting as the most difficult experience of her life. She confessed, "Becoming a parent was a much bigger change than marriage," adding, "Raising a child was not something that could be achieved just by me working hard at it."
She specifically mentioned that the greatest lesson she learned while raising her three children was "letting go of the desire to control everything within me." She shared, "I tried to control many things out of a parent's anxiety and impatience to prevent my children from failing or getting hurt. I realized that the true role of a parent is to silently wait so that the child can grow by experiencing failure and frustration on their own." She added, "A child's adolescence is a time when a parent's shortcomings are fully exposed. If a parent has done something wrong, they must be able to apologize sincerely. A parent's apology is never a loss of authority."
Shin, who has been a promotional ambassador for Compassion since 2005, said, "Through my activities with Compassion, I have come to understand little by little what God wants to accomplish through my life," and added, "I also realized that the heart to love and embrace children is a talent God gave me."
She specifically shared her connection with her sponsored child in the Philippines, Rica, recalling, "It was heartbreaking when Rica was going through a difficult time, but I knew that the child's future was in God's hands. I felt how important it is to be there through prayer and letters rather than excessive worry." She continued, "Compassion is a precious community that has gone beyond volunteer work to set the direction of my life. I want to continue playing my part for children in need in the future."
The interview also covered various stories, including her experience participating in a vision trip during the early days of her sponsorship with Compassion and the background of how her husband, actor Cha In-pyo, came to form the Compassion Band. Detailed information can be found on the official YouTube channel of Compassion Korea.
Meanwhile, Compassion is an international child development organization that connects children suffering from poverty in 29 countries around the world and provides holistic development (intellectual, socio-emotional, physical, and spiritual) until they become self-sufficient adults.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)
