Are you a 'sige' or a 'pigil' mom?

 

“Sige” moms don’t mind the dirt, and encourage their kids to engage in various forms of play. They see play as a way for their kids to learn about the world around them, and they value the learning, creativity, and friendships that can be derived from play. “Pigil” moms, on the other hand, are more cautious and restrictive with the kind of activities their kids engage in. As they constantly worry about the consequences of their children’s actions (for both their children and themselves), they inadvertently inhibit their children’s potentials that would otherwise be developed from playing. Of course, “Pigil” moms may have valid reasons for setting parameters on what their children can do. Safety and health issues are major factors that trigger this attitude towards play, not to mention the amount of dirt and stains that comes with playing outdoors. The Bulatao Center study revealed that 70 percent of moms say they get annoyed when their children’s clothes get stained from playing. Also, for 89 percent of moms, doing the laundry is the least liked household chore. Given the busy lives and multiple roles of modern moms, being a “pigil” mom is typically seen as the compromise. But active play is an integral part of a growing child’s life. To encourage moms to allow their children to engage in active play, the Manila Polo Club field was transformed into a giant play and craft area last Saturday, February 16 for an event organized by Unilever’s Breeze Detergent and the Ateneo De Manila University’s Center for Psychological Services. With the hope of inspiring other moms, four celebrity moms were invited as advocates of child’s play as part of one’s holistic development. Award-winning actress Dawn Zulueta, women and youth issues advocate Sen. Pia Cayetano, socialite and columnist Tessa Prieto-Valdes, and sought-after celebrity mom Carmina Villaroel all agree that kids will always be kids, and part of ibeing a kid is getting literally dirty. “Parents nowadays get paranoid when their kids play outside. They want to keep them indoors but at the same time you don’t want to compromise the opportunity for the children to learn and experience the things we experienced as kids,” said Dawn.