Filipino Kids – Why are they so special?

I admit that sometimes I get a little frustrated with the locals here. Am I always right and reasonable? Of course not. I’m human, and I can be judgmental at times. I admit it. However, I have nothing but praise and delight for Filipino kids.

Filipino Children – A sheer delight

I still remember before my first trip here back in the 1990’s, I had that thinking that the Philippines was overrun by “unwanted children”. An excess of kids that were a general burden on their parents. How wrong I was! Saw plenty of kids. Mostly wanted and loved very much.

Most Filipino homes had floors covered in children. Is there a floor covering? If so, what colour was it? Who knows! So many kids that you can’t see it. And like all Filipinos, the kids smile and laugh over very little. And compared to us “seen and not heard” Aussie kids, they could never imagine themselves as unwanted or unloved. All very aware of the own value, and confirmed by every adult that they see……and every other child!

I just had some guests on Sunday. Welsh chap, with his wife and two kids. 10 year old boy and 13 year old girl. They had never met my kids before, however they were best of friends within about 5 minutes. They boy had a 3 year old girl making heavy demands on his time and attention, and it didn’t bother him in the slightest.

Another time, we had…….maybe 20 kids here on a new years eve. Youngest maybe 3. Oldest maybe 19. And everything in between. Girls, boys, all ages. All waiting for the standard Harvie new years fireworks. And while waiting, they all played. Games that I had never seen, which is normal regardless of how many years you live here. Kids here know hundreds of them, and they will all join in with enthusiasm. No one is too old or too “cool”. And they will patiently help little kids along and will cop all the nonsense that little kids dish out without complaint.

Seriously? Wouldn’t happen so readily in Australia. Sorry, but it really wouldn’t. Even expecting an 18 year old to be nice to a 13 year old is a big ask! And it’s whatever kid happens to be there too. It doesn’t need to be little brother or niece. Ate’s and kuya’s are always on duty and will rise to the occasion.

The last time my mother visited here Christmas 2015, she told me how impressed she was with two of our girls…..11 and 12 at the time. 2 year old Maggie vomited all over herself, as 2 year olds do. The older two? They just scooped her up, cleaned her up and changed her without a word. My mum was truly amazed. But that’s just normal here. Ask any kid to take care of another kid, and they just do! They’re all used to it, and they have no problem doing it.

I don’t know what or why. I suppose it has to do with the lack of extended families and the reduced number of kids in Australia. I don’t remember ever having anything to do with a baby when I was a kid. The occasional visitor had one, but you kept your distance from that strange creature. Most of us had our first introduction to babies when we actually had our own kids. Suddenly they would thrust this wrapped-up baby into your arms and you were expected to take over. I do like the way things are here. It seems somewhat more balanced.

And no Jeff Harvie article about Filipino kids would be complete without a plug for you to consider what a wonderful addition to your life is a Filipino child or several. If you meet a single mother, unless she has a legal restriction preventing bring her kids to Australia then you should include them in a partner visa application. What possible loss could it be to have beautiful smiling faces and pure hearts full of love…..love for their mum (your wife) and love for the new dad who accepted them. Nothing but a win win!