Parenting Archive

My thoughts on parenthood, and what it's like to be a mom in the Philippines.

Mommy Woes: Knowing When To Stop Being A Helicopter Mom

We’re discussing why I need to hire a tutor for my kids. I told him I need some tasks off my shoulders, specially now that my due date is nearer. I just can’t devote my 100% time teaching them. And he asked, why I need to..

I can’t answer without crying.. so here I am writing why I need to.

I feel kase that when my kids fail, it will come back to me. Every failure will be about me being a bad mother to them. The pressure is there.

Another thing, part of me believes that I could have been a better me if only my mother was there for me all the time. That is why I try all my best to give my kids all that I can provide. I feel the need to give them the best so that they would excel in whatever field they would choose.

I realized right at that moment.. teka, I am not as bad as I thought I was.. teka lang ha.. re align tayo ng paniniwala sa buhay. And I also realized that I had a better life than my husband. Life was not that easy for him them. Living on hand me downs and going to school with damaged shoes (kaya pagdating sa mga anak nya, talagang bigay hilig). And he turned out good! (best for me)

Mukhang tama nga si Daddy.. I need to loosen up. I just need to guide them.. medyo helicopter mom na yata ako with my kids. I just need to be there for them but not be there all the time. This is going to be hard.. but yeah, one of the things that I should instill in them is to be independent.

I just hope I could resist the urge to follow up on their studies when I stopped the tutorials. Haaaay

P.S. I guess that’s one of the usual mistake of moms/parents today no? Mirroring their frustrations on their kids. May mga nanay na pinipilit ang mga anak nila na mag artista dahil pangarap nila sa buhay maging artista. May mga nanay na pinipilit maging honor ang anak kase honor sila nung mga bata sila. May mga nanay na ginagawa ang lahat para sa anak dahil feeling nila napabayaan sila noong bata sila. May mga nanay naman na “pinapabayaan” ang anak nila dahil naging mahigpit ang mga magulang nila sa kanila.

At the end of the day, all moms just want the best for their kids and would do anything in their powers to make it happen… and most of the times, we don’t know when to stop! haha

I’m glad I have my husband who makes things more logical for me.

5 Pinoy Phrases We Should Stop Using

Manonood na ako ng Ang Probinsyano eh (tapos Panagako Sa’yo… tapos On The Wings of Love).. sabi ko ilipat ang TV sa Channel 2.. DEADMA ang mga bagets! Napa litanya tuloy ako..

Ang sabi ko ilipat na ninyo sa Channel 2 ang TV! Bakit ba ayaw ninyo akong sundin?!? Para akong sirang plaka dito kasasabi sa inyo ng mga dapat at hindi nyo dapat gawin. Pagod na pagod na ako! Baka akala ninyo.. may gatas pa kayo sa labi. Alam na alam ko ang mga ginagawa ninyo. Papunta pa lang kayo, pabalik na ako… Sige subukan ninyo.. subukan ninyo ako.

Eh lalo akong hindi pinansin at nakatingin lang sa akin na parang walang naintindihan sa mga sinabi ko..

Maya- maya, eto na si panganay…

[tweetthis]Sirang Plaka? Tengang Kawali? Here are some Pinoy Phrases Moms should STOP using! [/tweetthis]

“My, ano ba ang plaka?”

AY JUSMIYOOOOOO! ANO DAW?!? Wala ngang naintindihan sa mga pinagsasabi ko! Sumakit lang lalamunan ko kaka litanya!

And that’s the story behind this blog post. GENERATION GAP! huhu

Some of the things that my lola and lolo used to tell me is no longer comprehensible for the youths today. I am saying that not just from my “litanya”experiences. When I explained to my boys what Plaka is all about.. that’s the only time they realized what it means when someone says “para akong sirang plaka.” My first born said that most of their teachers used that term but no one in the class really knows what it really means.

It makes me wonder, maybe the kids nowadays is really not that stubborn, we’re just assuming they understood what we are saying when in fact they don’t have a slight idea about it. Based on our experience, here are the 5 Filipino Phrases that we (specially us mommies!) should stop using or explain it before using it on our kids.

5 Pinoy Phrase We Should Stop Using

Pinoy Phrase # 1: Para akong sirang plaka

They don’t even know what PLAKA is! Not unless you really have a cool household that still owns an old record player and still keeps vinyl records. Orienting the kids about vinyl and how it sound when broken can be challenging. Next time, if you feel the need to tell them na para kayong sirang plaka at paulit ulit na lang sa mga sinasabi nyo, try using the term “UNLIMITED”

Pinoy Phrase # 2: May gatas pa kayo sa labi

In a nutshell, may gatas pa kayo sa labi means young. Back then, only the kids got to drink milk.. pero sa panahon ngayon when even milk for the oldest of the oldest is being marketed, hindi na applicable and phrase na ito. Kahit si Lolo at Lola may gatas pa sa labi eh! Try using the phrase, “Town Hall 2 pa lang kayo.”

Pinoy Phrase # 3: Papunta pa lang kayo, pabalik na ako

They’ll never get what this phrase means… do you know what it means? been there..done that.. The most effective way to try to inculcate to your kids that you are far more experienced than them.. use their language.

“Hindi mo na pa download ang COC, town hall 10 na ako!”

Pinoy Phrase # 4: Sige, Subukan mo

Never dare.. huwag na huwag mong susubukan. That’s what this phrase is to me. The kids nowadays, it only means one thing, they would really do it. If you want to tell them don’t do it, say it. Napansin ko lang, ang mga kabataan ngayon, they take things as it is.

Pinoy Phrase #5: Ilipat mo na sa Channel 7 0 sa Channel 2 ang TV

Lastly, kung saan nagsimula ang post na ito.. Noong kabataan ko, dalawa lang ang channel na kilala ko.. Channel 7 (GMA) and Channel 2 (ABSCBN). Nowadays, may Channel 100 na rin yata! I still say that though, “nak lipat mo na sa Channel 2 and funny how only my little girl knows what TV channel I am talking about. Get a hold of that damn remote in order to prevent this kind of confusion from happening again.. or re orient yourself with the channels now.

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