Teach them NOT to be concerned about what others say.

Way back in college, I remember wearing matching clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, and being too concerned on what everyone will say about how I look.

I grew up hearing my mom say, “Naku ano na lang sasabihin ni ganito, ni ganyan. Naku ayoko kasing isipin ni ganito na kaya nagkaganyan kasi hindi ko naisip na ano, na ganun. Naku mag-ayos ka para pag pinag-usapan ka, maganda ang sasabihin tungkol sayo.”

I know she didn’t mean any harm. Parents easily get hurt when they hear even the slightest negative comment about their kids.

However, this didn’t help me at all. This was hard-wired on my brain! Up to the delivery room, I was concerned of what the nurses would think of how my pregnancy made my armpits so dark when it should have been at the least of my concerns while in labor.

It was also only after giving birth that I’ve started not to care about what others say. After so many interns watched how I gave birth and got stitched up, I don’t think there’s anything on me they haven’t seen yet. Uhmm my soul perhaps? LOL. I also looked totally “losyang” in front of everybody during the first few months after birth (okay, maybe the entire year) and I’m sure that at one point or another, even our neighbors had a glimpse of my breasts every time I hand-expressed, pumped, and breastfed my child.

But we got to do what we got to do right? So I’ve finally learned to say, Who cares?!