Here’s Pauleen Luna’s advice for parents whose children are bullied online

It wasn’t easy for actress and host Pauleen Luna to dish out advice for parents of kids who were being bullied online. After all, it had only been recently that the new mom hit back on social media after a Facebook user said nasty things about Tali, her two-year-old daughter.

“It’s one thing to say your opinion which is totally fine; but it’s another thing to bash an innocent child,” Pauleen said on Tuesday, August 25, during an online press conference for TV5’s Chika Besh, where Pauleen is a co-host.

Over the weekend, Pauleen threatened a Facebook user who kept picking on Tali. The Facebook user has since disappeared from social media.

Pauleen said there are different schools of thought when it comes to social media, parenthood, and children – there are those who think it’s only right for a parent to stand up for their kids, while there are those who think it’s the parents’ fault for posting about the child in the first place.

“But for me, sharing Tali with people gives me and gives them so much joy. And I think mas nangingibabaw iyon than the bad and not so good comments. Because at the end of the day, why do I share my daughter? It’s because I am proud of her not for anything else but proud na proud lang ako sa anak ko,” she said.

Pauleen said that while people are entitled to their own opinions, they should be mindful about what they say.

“I think the downside of this idle time is that may room for negative thoughts. Lahat naman tayo may mga opinyon pero hindi naman na natin kailangan pa sabihin sa lahat ng tao kung hindi ito kagandahan,” she said.

(We all have our opinions but if you have nothing good to say, don’t bother saying it anymore.)

Pauleen said that as a mom, she can’t just let people insult her child.

“That’s what people need to understand, that once you become a mom, you will do anything and everything to protect your child,” she said.

Pauleen’s co-host Pokwang reminded people that every child is a blessing.

“Dumaan tayong lahat sa pagiging bata. Lahat tayo minahal, prinotektahan ng mga nanay natin. So please, alamin ‘nyo yung pakiramdam ng isang magulang kapag ang anak niya ay nabully… alamin ‘nyo iyon,” she said.

(We were all kids once. We were loved, protected by our mothers. So try to understand how a parent feels when their kid gets bullied.)

“Darating ang araw na magiging magulang ka rin, mararamdaman mo ito.” 

(You’ll be a parent one day and you’ll understand.) – Alexa Villano/Rappler.com