11 Signs You Grew Up with Filipino Parents (That are Too Real)

We can all agree that growing up with Filipino parents isn’t easy. Of course they’ll always hold a special place in our hearts with the sweet things they do for us. Sometimes though, they just do crazy things that drive us up the wall!

Here are some signs that you lived in a house with Filipino parents. Warning though: some of the things here may be too real.

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1. You were scolded because of perfectly good grades.

Filipino parents are just obsessed with grades! Like their Asian counterparts, a passing grade isn’t enough. And they won’t pretend to hide their disappointment if you don’t get an A+.

Sometimes we wonder if they’re pushing us to study harder just so they could share our achievements in their news feeds! But thankfully, their obsession with our grades seems to go away once we’ve entered college.

2. You eat indoors because “there’s food at home”.

You know the famous saying: Filipino parents will tell you they know a place, and then take you to the house to eat. When we were younger, it was annoying to hear that you were just going to eat at home especially when you wanted to dine out in a nice place.

Now that we’re older though, it’s just funny; we are thankful that we even have food in the first place. We now realize that eating at home is just more practical especially now that we’re more financially-conscious. So parents, you win this round.

3. You were told not to talk back.

Dear parents reading this: what do you want us to do when you’re being so aggressive towards us? Do you expect us to just sit down and take your harsh words? As the wise PBB winner, Beatriz Saw, once said “ang respeto, hindi yan iniimpose Maricris, ine-earn yan!“

When we keep quiet, you want us to reply. But when we give you an explanation, you don’t want to hear it.

We know that when you tell us something along the lines of “aba, sumasagot ka na ngayon“, it just means that we made a fair point that you don’t want to listen to for the sake of your pride. And honestly, that makes us even angrier at you.

Your desire to win the argument will not get us anywhere.

It also sets a precedent that we should never talk back to authority even if it’s clear that they’re the one in the wrong.

4. You hid your significant other from them for too long.

When we hear our friend say that they have a boyfriend or girlfriend, it’s not uncommon to ask if their relationship is “legal”. This means that the parents of the couple know that they’re dating.

Whether jokingly or not, our protective Filipino parents have always been pretty vocal about not wanting us to engage in any relationship with anyone.

Growing up with Filipino parents means carrying a lifelong fear of being reprimanded for falling in love. We’re so scared of them that we’ll get engaged one day and not tell them until the actual wedding!

5. Your first drink was with them.

Filipino parents can be fun and they’ll let you experience your first taste of alcohol… as long as you’re with them. Going out with relatives probably means there’ll be some booze around.

And when your parents feel that you’re of age, they may be in a good enough mood to let you drink with them!

Our take: it’s the right thing to do because everyone eventually tries out alcohol anyways. So why not avoid all the inevitable sneaking and lying by letting us try it out when they’re around?

6. You got weekly sermons for going home late.

For the college kids out there, we know how you feel. Friday nights just aren’t the same without your mother nagging at you the moment your half-sober ass shows up at the door.

Most of the time, nothing really comes of it. We end up being stuck in a loop of going home late and pissing our parents off (we’re sorry!). We do admit that we still get war flashbacks from our mother asking us where we are while we’re still out.

7. You aren’t able to follow a diet.

Growing up with Filipino parents means growing up in a house where empty stomachs is a no-no! They will do everything to feed us until our stomachs become so bloated, they show through our shirt. Which is weird because they’re also the first to criticize us when we gain even the slightest weight.

This spells bad news for someone attempting to lose some pounds or try out a new diet. The more you resist, the more they’ll insist on serving you a tempting cup of rice. If you’re that stubborn, they’ll place food in your plate themselves!

8. You have titas who know everything about you.

Man, do Filipino parents love gossip! Family gatherings wouldn’t be complete without a tita you barely know asking a question that’s just too personal. You don’t even have to ask where they got their tea about you, because it’s always from your mom and dad.

However, we do appreciate all their supportive comments in our Facebook posts even if they may bring up details that do not need to be seen by our friends.

9. You had to dispel fake news in Viber.

Despite insisting that they are smarter than us because of their age, Filipino parents are more susceptible to being victims of fake news. It’s become a common occurrence for them to forward a chain message in the family Viber chat that has no inkling of truth to it.

These messages can range from political propaganda to ridiculous headlines meant to spread unfounded panic. And unfortunately, we have the responsibility of calling them out.

10. You had to take up pre-med, law, or engineering.

Our dreams can wait. It’s a universal truth that parents force their children to take up courses that will lead them to financial success. But for Filipinos, it’s often courses related to medicine, law, and engineering fields since the people who work there are highly regarded in society.

This is an unfortunately reality for many of us who want to pursue a career that we are passionate about. Such is life in a capitalist world.

11. You had thought about them in your future.

No matter how much they drive us insane, we can’t let them go. And that means always thinking about where they fit in our plans for the future. Living in such a family-centric culture means that our parents will always be in the picture whether we like it or not.

They may have caused some emotional scars and a tainted relationship with you. You’ve probably reached a breaking point where you thought how amazing it would be to move out. When you’ve stayed under their roof for so long, it can be mentally draining to have them control your life and not treat you like an adult.

But for some of us, it’s difficult to hate them for too long. They always worm their way back into our hearts.

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It’s definitely an adventure growing up with Filipino parents. They have some quirks and ways of doing things that we may never understand until we hit their age. On some days, you love them. On some days, you hate them.

But one thing’s for sure: you’re in for a ride.

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Featured Image: Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels