‘It’s tough’ – Kelly Khumalo on raising a child that resembles her ex

‘It’s tough’ – Kelly Khumalo on raising a child that resembles her ex.  ‘You choose to be a better person and a better parent, and you choose to heal for your child’s sake’

Kelly Khumalo has shot up trends lists after she shared a thought-provoking message about the difficulties of raising a child whose father has a history of physically abusing you.

The singer is a mother to three children — her firstborn son Christian from her previous relationship with Jub Jub, whom she has publicly accused of abuse — and her two daughters, Tingo, who she shared with the late soccer star Senzo Meyiwa, and Luna, whom she reportedly shared with former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mthokozisi Yende.

All her children are the spitting image of their fathers.

In a video that went viral on Sunday across all social media platforms, Khumalo highlighted the “often-overlooked” struggles of single mothers who have experienced abuse at the hands of their children’s father.

She spoke about the pain of seeing a child who resembles their abusive parent and the constant reminders of the trauma they endured.

“There’s one thing that we probably never talk about, especially as single moms — raising children or a child of a man who physically abused you, even more, so that child looks exactly like that person. How much healing it takes to raise a child and to see the child for who they are and not who their father is,” she said.

“How boldly, one had to be to see beyond what is a constant reminder of someone who hurt you, and it’s worse if that person continues to hurt you in their absence. Whatever chance they get, they want to step on you and remind you of how they hurt you in the past, but you continue to be a great mom, you choose to be a great mom,” said Khumalo.

“You choose to be a better person and a better parent, and you choose to heal for your child’s sake because, at the end of the day, that child is not just an image of his or her father, but your image too. So you choose to see you in them, rather than the person who hurt you. It’s tough. We don’t talk about it, but it’s tough.”

Also Read – Mawhoo Gives Back: Donates School Shoes and Uniforms to Three Schools in KwaZulu-Natal