In last night’s 60 Minutes interview with Roxy Jacenko, we learned that Roxy has told her children Pixie (five) and Hunter (two) that their father is in China.
Oliver Curtis was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of insider trading in June. He’s eligible for release after 12 months with a one year good behaviour bond.
Roxy told Kyle and Jackie O that the only time Pixie was allowed to speak to her father on the phone since he went to prison, “she actually broke”.
“I thought, ‘Oh, she’ll be happy to speak to him’, but it was a disaster. She cried for the whole day after that. Her first words were, ‘When are you coming home?’. It was a mistake.”
Perhaps Roxy’s approach is understandable given the peculiar nature of her personal circumstances. She’s a high profile woman, her children are incredibly well known, and the Jacenko-Curtis family attract a great deal of attention.
Ah, can we please take a moment to appreciate the fact that despite everything Roxy Jacenko is doing, she’s managed to get her kids into Book Week costumes, a feat some of us (who have absolutely nothing going on in our lives) will likely never achieve. Next. Level.
Noting that every situation is different, and that factors like a child’s age and emotional maturity need to be considered, Melbourne child psychologists, Christina Rigoli and Danielle Kaufman from Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services in Port Melbourne told Mamamia that generally speaking, “it is important to give children age appropriate responses that are targeted at a level that they can understand. Children can be very receptive, so by withholding information, it may leave them confused or may result in them drawing their own conclusions.
“It’s about answering their questions in a way that they can understand. The parent needs to evaluate whether keeping things from their child is for their own, or for their child’s benefit.”
Perhaps I’m being ungenerous. Roxy, you would imagine, has evaluated what is in the best interests of her children.
After all, she is in the middle of what would surely be the worst time of her life. Her husband is in prison, she is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, the scrutiny and criticism she regularly faces has reached boiling point and in the middle of it are two innocent children.
It’s unimaginable. Who knows. Perhaps all of us, in a time that is more difficult than any other in your life, your desire to protect and nurture your children and to keep the worst away from them would drive you to tell them the same thing.
What would you do? Would you tell your children the truth? Or would you tell your children, the most precious things in your life, an untruth to try to protect them?
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Top Comments
Like I have already said, don't lie when the truth can be told in a very appropriate way to address the child's concerns and alleviate anxiety. Lies are not appropriate especially when they are elaborate and the child could easily hear a completely different story, aka, the truth from peers. This would lead to confusion and pain for the child. Roxy also needs to get her head around her husbands emotional state and learn that some blokes don't want visits or calls when they are doing it tough or when it draws attention to them inside. Equally some jails do strip searching and frisking, which can be distressing, either to the inmate or visitors. She needs professional help. I could go into details about prison time but it seems that mamamia is hell bent on putting the cutest possible spin on everything Roxy. Shame really, these kids will suffer with the attitude of fibs are ok.
I think that you are a bit self-righteous an that may well be where you stand on this BUT just because you feel that way doesn't mean you are correct on the subject.
Look I don't think any of us can judge what Roxy has done here - she's managing a company, caring for 2 small children, probably grieving the loss of 'normality' (albeit temporary), and dealing with her cancer diagnosis. Yet, I agree with the author that this is a missed learning opportunity to show children that mistakes don't define us. You don't need to say things like 'the police made a mistake' (especially because that's not the truth) to prove Dad is a good person. All you need to highlight is that Dad did something reckless and stupid when he was young. He's serving time in jail to make up for it, like responsible people should.