Show and tell

How Filipino parents combine practical care and verbal affirmation to show affection across generations

- JANE KINGSU-CHENG

Filipino parents, like many Asian parents, have a special way of showing love—it’s in what they do more than what they say. Affection is expressed by preparing meals and managing daily chores.

A study by Lydia B. Aguilar and colleagues, “Cultural Values, Parenting, and Child Adjustment in the Philippines” in the International Journal of Psychology, explains why. In a collectivist culture like ours, family needs often take priority over words. Love is felt more, not heard, through daily acts.

Say it