Raising Children

Whenever I encounter really naughty kids, napapaisip ako. Raising children is a huge responsibility and is getting complicated nowadays. The way a person behaves reflects the upbring he has. Perhaps tumatanda na ako kaya ko napapansin to hehe.

In some households, there are rules like:
1. no tv on weeknights
2. lights off (sleeping time) before 9-10pm
3. no bf at schooling age
4. no sleepovers for outings, or even for college thesis nights
5. no hairlength beyond shoulder length - this is crazy!
6. no eating of street food (fishballs, dirty ice cream, etc)

Crap! All of these I did NOT have, that's a serious statement! Even without those rules, I think I grew up pretty much normal hehe.

Spoiled brats are commonplace (lalo na in pampered Fil-Chi households). I've seen how kids make a 'show' in toystores when their parents refuse to buy their favorite toys. Yun tipong uupo sa sahig at papadyak. Then the kid wins and takes home the toys. After one week, most probably the toys have been 'massacred', yun tipong sira-sira na at nakatapon kung saan-saan sa bahay. They hardly know the value of money, hindi maingat sa gamit.

I remember my parents didnt attend a single PTS (parent-teacher seminar) event in my school before. PTS in my HS actually looks more like a chika-chika and sipsip session to me. Society says school and family should work hand-in-hand to promote the well-being of a child, but probably in my case, I can consider them as two separate entities.

Back in school my grades were somewhat good. (hindi ko na rin maalala bkit ako naging masipag hehe) People used to think I have strict parents at home who force me to study hard and be in honor roll. Hehe I dont, at all. They dont really care to check my grades. I remember my mom would persuade me to sleep when she spots me studying at 11pm for college exams. --- hehe the other way around.

And probably in my time, i can comprehend the lack of time of parents to their children because of work. It's just as simple as someone needs to earn money to provide for everyday needs. As the world gets complicated, so the evolution of several sickness, the popular ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). I'm not saying that parents have the excuse to leave the children to yayas, it's just that kids nowadays are getting too vulnerable, and I also dont know what the cause is either.

I think probably one of the biggest factors is how you nurture the firstborn. If the eldest is matino, chances are the succeeding ones will just follow. Not applicable all the time.

During a bible study session, I was asked the question 'what is the most unreasonable rule that your parent has set for you?'. Isip ako nang isip, wala akong maisagot. I answered, 'parang wla, kasi sa amin, ang rule is more like makuha ka sa tingin, malaki ka na alam mo na dapat ano ang ginagawa mo'. :)

Actually it works for me that we were raised in a not-so-strict yet seems strict environment. It's hard to explain. Probably they entrust us the freedom to think and make decisions on our own. They trust me that I can handle myself. They trust me too much that probably it has gone to a deeper level, that it's my free will to keep that trust they have in me. :p

(Well I can still mess around if I really want to.. haha ooops)

I'm not saying that the way I was brought up is better than the others. Case to case basis. Perhaps if I got a kid like myself in the future, matatakot din ako hehe.

I dont know any secret formula in raising kids. But there's just one thing I think everyone should at least know - kung ano mang balak mong gawin, panindigan mo. :)