This is what romance novels taught me and why you should not prohibit your child from reading





When I was younger I was prohibited to read pocketbooks when I am starting to become a fanatic. Of course I know why they dislike the notion of a 13 year old me reading those kinds of book.

They are afraid of the maka-mundong eksena/reality.

They are scared that I will rush to love. That I might lose my senses because of love and do something rash.

To sum it all I think what they are trying to say is that 13 year old is too young for love.

But they are wrong. You can never be too young or old for love. No matter what people are saying love is not limited to age, gender, race, or status in life. Love is love. You might not think the same as the others but what you have to do is to respect other's opinion about love.

They are afraid that I might rush into love romantically when in reality reading Tagalog Romance Pocketbooks made me realize that love is more than just the kilig and grand gestures. 

I think my parents will agree when I say that I am less troublesome during my teenage years. I didn't rebel (aside from my usual bad side and from staying up all night when they told me to stop reading already haha) that much because I was busy being in love... but not with a person but in reading. I was busy falling in love with the characters that trying to sneak out to go to malls never became a priority. Unlike other teenagers who are busy texting and chatting 'friends' I was busy trying to finish a book in one sitting. There are times where I wake up and immediately read using my keypad phone and the reason why I keep staying all night was to read and not to watch TV shows.

While others are busy using computers to grow their FB reach I was busy looking for available books to download for free online and looking for a way to convert them to epub version since my phone can only read epub or txt format.

There was a time where they call me out in our living room and instruct me to sit. Thinking they will ask me about something or give task for an errand I went out of my bedroom and sat only to find out that what they want me to do is to watch TV. They think me reading is already too much since I wake up, eat, do my assigned chores, and get back to the bedroom to read (if I remember it correctly these are my YA reading years and you know how that gets engrossing!). I think they thought that something is wrong with me.

To cut it short, I shrug off their worries and return back to my beloved bedroom and dived into a different world.

I hope parents realize that they should stop prohibiting their children to grasp knowledge about reality.

I read dystopian books but I didn't become a ruthless person, if anything else I discover that we should treasure the world and life we are in.

I read pocketbooks but I didn't rush to love someone. I became hopeful about love because the stories taught me that there will be someone in the future.

I read pocketbooks but they didn't taught me to be malandi but rather, they taught me how strong a woman could be and how I should carry myself. They gave me heartbreaks despite being single and they gave me hope and realization of what love really is.

I discover that love is not just about the kilig or the sweet and grand gestures. Love is a big word that can't be used like normal words. It is not limited to romantic relationships and I am glad that I learn in the easiest way possible.

With the help of reading pocketbooks (and Nicholas Sparks too!!!) I slowly realize 'my standards' about love. People might think I have high standards but to be honest my standard is not that high but rather deep.

I don't need blocks of criteria for my standards as it is not a competition of how high you can finish. I need someone who'll dig as I myself is not sure entirely sure of what my standard is. During the passing of time it changes, like a shore, where water washes them but it will be replaced.

I don't need sacks of offering full of qualities of what perfect looks like, what I need is someone who'll dig deep under and make me realize what love really is. The one who'll dig out excess of every qualities that there is.

Knowledge is power and so we are scared of what our children will gain, but then again maybe that's where we went wrong. We are so scared and we keep wanting to shelter them but it's not always like that. They need to learn and know what the future holds.

Knowledge is a weapon but it's on us how we treat it. Are you going to safekeep it away from your child thinking it'll hurt them or are you going to teach them what knowledge is and how and where to use it?



4 Comments

  1. Parent kind of know their children and your perspective is understood however not all children react the same way so it is still depending on the situation hehe

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  2. I love reading books and the habit started when I was still in grade school. However, since I borrowed books from the school library, what I got were "age-appropriate" books. It was only when I got into my junior year of high school that I became interested in young adult fiction (teenage romance books).

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  3. What a great topic for discussion! It is true knowledge is power, which is why I personally think children, teenagers and adults should read all kinds of books. If something is not age-appropriate or confusing, it's just important to have someone to talk to about it.

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  4. Reading is great but certain genres of books can only be read/understood as you mature and parents know that.

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