Active and Fresh All Day Long

This is a story of a mom with a very energetic seven year old. She happily spends her days chasing after her son, playing every game his imaginative mind can think of. And by chasing– she means running after him with a bimpo to wipe his pawis, and that’s okay. It turns out she has her ways of keeping her son fresh all-day even on unli-play.
“Ang likot ng anak mo, ha”
“Oh, you’re child IS SO playful”

In English, malikot means hyper. Children are naturally curious, and they love to explore and play. High energy is normal, low energy probably means he’s not feeling well.

I have been blessed with a beautiful and very active son. Some call him energetic, some say playful, and some go straight to the point and say that he’s very malikot. And you know what, that is fine by me.

Fellow moms might wonder what causes their child’s level of “likot”. Some even go as far as bringing their child to a developmental pediatrician, just to rule out possibilities. But I sit on the other side of the spectrum. I truly believe that super likot kids are just very busy and very curious! They are usually malikot when they are playing. And it is while playing that kids learn the most.

Benefits of Play

If adults have to work, it is children’s business to play. Countless research have shown that play is important to a child’s emotional, cognitive, social, physical, language development. It has positive effects on our kid’s learning curve. It is our duty as parents to let our kids play and explore the world.

“Ang likot-likot mo!”
Play is good, we’ve established that. But the over-playful child will still be called malikot.

What is malikot? Growing up, I’d hear my elders refer to hyperactive kids as “parang kiti-kiti” and “hindi mapakali”. And so the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Others call him malikot or makulit. But I see him as spirited and strong-willed.

I’m surprised at how Filipino tales of wisdom frown at very sweaty and hyper children. Let’s debunk a few of them right now.

1. “Yung pawis mo, pu-pulmonyahin ka nyan”

I catch myself saying this to my energetic child. But the fact is that you cannot get pneumonia by getting too sweaty and letting it dry on your skin. The truth behind this is that lower body temperatures make the body more prone to catching a cold. So if a sweaty back dries out in a very cold environment, you could catch a sniffle or two. But not pneumonia.

2. “Nakakahiya sa ibang tao”

In my teens, I would always see a 5 year old girl dance her heart out during mass in between church aisles. I watched her do this every Sunday for another year. But by the time she turned 7, she sat quietly beside her mom — no more dancing. I used to think “Nakakahiya. Bakit sya pinapayagan mag-sayaw habang misa?”. I asked a psychology major about this and her reply struck me. As kids we do not have a concept of the negative things others may think. As we grow, we begin to be influenced by what elders say. So yes, let your child move and play so long as he does not put himself or others in harm’s way.

3. “Ang asim mo na”

My little boy has had his fair share of asim moments. When he was very little, I loved smelling his underarms (I know, right!). I stopped doing this a few months ago because he started smelling like a maasim na mama.

Sweating is our body’s way to cool itself. When your child starts smelling maasim, it means the sweat is interacting with the bacteria on his body. It’s nothing good hygiene can’t solve. Johnson’s ACTIVE FRESH Shampoo, Bath, and Powder are part of our bath time routine, and it helps keep smelly moments at bay all day.

Sweat is Good
In as much as I want him to keep on discovering through play, the human-mom side of me wants to run to him and wipe off every bead of sweat I can find!

Sweating is second nature to active kids! And it seems that having them flush-faced and brimming with joy is a good thing! It turns out that sweating has benefits too.

Research says that working up a sweat means our kids are getting a great workout! Exercise helps them get strong and live healthy! It is also associated with improved heart function, circulation, and metabolism. Apparently, our dreaded pawis flushes out toxins and impurities. Plus, as their bodies heat up during play, more white blood cells are generated which boost their immune system. So yes, go ahead, be as hyper as you want, son!

Time to Get Clean
Super active kids need super moms, like us, to keep them smelling like little angels no matter how busy they get. I used to be a full-on O.C. mom complete with anti-bacterial gel, cologne, bimpos, and endless changes of clothes.

The tables have turned. I’m very happy to share that I’ve traded in my impossibly heavy bag to a size that won’t hurt my back. Instead of carrying around products to get him smelling fresh, I’ve put my trust in Johnson’s ACTIVE FRESH.

The combination of Johnson’s ACTIVE FRESH Powder, Bath and Shampoo keeps my son fresh with 12-hour fragrance. ACTIVE FRESH is the only one that gets my son smelling fresher the more he plays. It’s also gentle on sensitive skin like his. That means more playtime for him, and less worry for me.

I’m excited for my little boy to play and discover the world. He can be called malikot, energetic, or extremely playful, it doesn’t really matter. What I want is for him to become his best, while I stay confident that he gets the best care he deserves.

During summer break, my son is on unli-likot mode. And believe me, he’s having the time of his life!