Funny things Filipino moms do to show love and how to give back
MANILA, Philippines — Men and women have a shared responsibility to take care of their children, and they really do their best to live up to their responsibility. However, since women are traditionally left to care for their children in most cultures, including the Filipino culture, moms get to spend more time with their children and are therefore perceived to care more for their children than dads.
In any case, most Filipino children, having been raised by Filipino moms, share common experiences and anecdotes about their Nanay’s style of taking care of them. There are certain things that Filipino moms say and do that seem awkward, sometimes utterly illogical, but if you get right down to thinking about it, it actually makes sense.
Knowing how the Filipino community sometimes tends to be family-centered, it might just be the Filipino tendency to be a bit extra, to take it up a notch in terms of child care.
So, Filipino children do have a funny anecdote or two on how their mothers raised them.
Here are some cute things Filipino moms do while taking care of their kids:
Prepare clothes very meticulously
This means placing a bimpo (towel) on your back to catch your perspiration, buying terno or matching pieces of clothing for you and your siblings, and sewing or altering the clothes herself if she finds them too revealing. Funny as it may seem, but you and your siblings wearing the same clothes, for instance, made for cute pictures and core memories!
Enforcing afternoon naps
Imagine this: You attend classes every morning and arrive from school a little after noon. You have lunch and proceed to watch a bit of television after. Then in comes your mother commanding you to stop whatever it is you are doing because it is nap time — and you are not allowed to do anything else until you take that nap.
Now, science tells us that a well-timed nap can provide your brain with a little boost. But why would a child, with all that boundless energy and no immediate major life responsibilities, need an afternoon nap? Who knows except your mother, whose insistence on naps likely ingrained that practice in your brain, or turned you off from naps forever.
But as adults now, we all cherish a few minutes of nap time — even for just 5 minutes — to recharge. It really makes a huge difference!
Hot towel scrub for sick days
She takes care of you when you’re sick by giving you a hot towel scrub because she said a full bath or shower can make you feel worse. For added layer of protection, she applies a heavy dose of mentholated topical ointment.
It may have smelled funny back then, but those ointments do provide great relief for colds and migraines!
Scare tactics with 'halimaw' tale to prevent from staying out late
It’s understandable that your Nanay wouldn’t want you staying out too late, playing in the neighborhood streets with your friends.
But instead of just imposing a curfew — something you became quite familiar with when you got older — some mothers resort to the scare tactic. Specifically, telling you that a monster or halimaw or a stranger on a motorcycle will kidnap you if you are not at home at a certain time.
While the concern is understandable — some neighborhoods aren’t safe at night, after all — did our mothers have to resort to something that could lead to trauma? But on hindsight, it did keep us more aware of our surroundings. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
Feeding food that make one grow taller
The rice may have been too much for your appetite to handle as a kid. Having to finish the entire meal may have indeed been a huge task. But, looking back, you have reaped the nutritional benefits of a full meal!
Experience her hoarding tendencies
Your mother likes to keep the containers of all the food items she buys. So, naturally, this practice trickles down to you.
Even though you have a proper baunan for your school lunches, your ulam is likely stored in a different container every time. Your lunch probably included a sachet of ketchup or two, which she got for free from your recent eat-out session at your favorite fast-food chain.
And who could forget the Pinoy classic: the ice cream tub that has fish inside and biscuit containers that actually contain her sewing accouterments.
Let’s face it. Storage also requires a budget. Those plastic microwavables would also cost a few bucks, most especially the fancy ones. So the most practical way to store is to reuse containers, but maybe not for your baon.
Understanding her special, secret language
The Filipino mother is prone to using a sort of language that only she and her children can understand.
Her “psst” spells fear inside the household and her “bahala ka sa buhay mo” means you actually better do what she told you.
A single shriek of “Anak!” or your name means you better run to her quickly and she he better not start counting “Isa, dalawa…” Of course, even though she says the most generic expressions, you know what they mean immediately.
While these child-rearing practices can already be considered funny — and sometimes questionable — by today’s standards, what remains true is that many of these motherly practices come from a place of genuine Filipino love and care.
Now that you are grown and financially stable, return the favor by giving your beloved mother a special and unique gift, such as RCBC Credit Cards. They offer promos that can make buying a gift for your mother easier. RCBC Hexagon Club members get to enjoy exclusive dining discounts of up to P2,500 for a minimum spend of P5,000 single receipt.
