By Jewillyn Sunga and Iana Vergara
Layout by Suzanne Pagkaliwangan
We grow up and get curious. We all aim to be free. But how do we get freedom if we feel
there are eyes all around us? We feel we are being spied on. We feel we are imprisoned in our
house. Strict parenting produces well behaved kids. However, kids become teenagers who will
start a whole new life and sooner you’ll know they are independent. If parents continue to be strict
they’ll produce sneaky children. Same goes with Jessie, aged 16. She’s a teenager still adjusting to
a whole new world. She is the eldest child and has a brother who is 14. She admits she have strict
parents, but not authoritarian.
When was the first time you were scolded by your parents?
“Grade
4 po ako ‘nun, I received a love letter from a guy, pero itatapon ko na sana kasi
I know my parents will be mad, ‘eh nakalimutan kong na-silid ko pala siya sa bag ko. My
mom would always check my school bag so she found out. Pinagalitan niya ‘ko. Ang
bata-bata ko pa raw puro kalandian naagad ako. ‘Eh hindi naman ako ‘yung nagbigay.“
What do you feel about being scolded for the first time and yet you gain that
approach?
“Opo,
first time ko po ‘yun. Honestly, I cried so hard. Nagka-takot na rin po ako kay Mama.
Umiyak po talaga ako nang sobra.“
Why is that you still remember every detail of that moment? Do you hold grudge
against your mom?
“‘Yun
nga po. Super natakot na po ako, [kay Mama] ‘eh. Parang trauma na rin po. Ayoko
na po maulit. Hindi, siyempre first time po ‘yun e. Unforgettable po talaga.“
Do you believe strict parents lead to sneaky children?
“Opo,
kasi they cannot do what they want to do especially of being a teenagers naalam
naman natin na ito ‘yung stage na dapat nag-eexplore at ginagawa ‘yung mga bagay
na gusto nating gawin, kaya naman gagawa at gagawa ang mga anak ng paraan para
magawa ang gusto nila kahit alam nilang bawal.“
An Expert’s Perspective
Mr. Siegfred G, guidance counselor at De La
Salle University – Dasmariñas, said that there really
are strict parents. He said that this is because these
parents are also brought up by their parents by
being strict as a method of parenting. It is what they
learned—what they lived for. This is the formula or
what has been traditionally known by the parents. But
parents know best and that doesn‘t lead to sneaky
children at all.
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