Andi's Reply To Speculation That Ellie Is Unhappy In Siargao Is About Parenting Tweens

Since Andi Eigenmann and her Siargao Island-based family launched their Happy Islanders vlog in January 2020, they've been giving a lot of good vibes and getting much love for it.

Some subscribers to their YouTube channel turn out to be so observant to the point of speculating that Andi's panganay Ellie Eigenmann is no longer happy living in Siargao.

Ellie, who spends half of her time in Metro Manila with her father Jake Ejercito, was barely eight years old when her actress-mother Andi moved to Siargao for a life away from show business.

In Siargao, Andi met an island native and surfing champion Philmar Alipayo. They became a couple and eventually had two kids together: Lilo, 3, and Koa, almost 2.

Andi, in the Happy Islanders vlog uploaded on November 4, 2022, addressed the speculation that Ellie is no longer happy living in Siargao.

At first, mother and daughter are having their kulitan moment. Andi wonders aloud if she's the only one who doesn't know about Ellie's style in drinking bottled iced tea. The girl is taking a gulp from the punched hole in the bottle cap of her drink.

Then Andi coaxed Ellie in speaking in the island dialect, Siargao-non. She tells her panganay, "Ate, let them hear your new Siarganon accent. Make them hear your expression."

She adds, "Kasi every time we’re doing a video.."—her daughter then walks away from the camera—"...galit ka, eh!"

Andi then chuckles, "Galit?" And continues talking to Ellie, who's off-cam "Di ba, maraming judgmental. Sinasabi nila you’re not happy with your island life na daw. Kasi every time, ano, you’re seen in the video, you’re, ano, galit. Haha! Masungit."

The mom of three then turns to the viewers: "What’s the explanation for that? It’s just because she’s 10 years old, guys, and most of the time she doesn’t like to be filmed. She doesn’t like to be video-ed, and that’s okay. Okay lang ’yun. Hindi natin s’ya kailangang pilitin pag ayaw n’ya."

Ellie will turn 11 on November 23. She's in the midst of the preadolescence stage, which is more popularly called the tween years because it comes between childhood and teenagehood.

Preadolescence is the time when children turn from being eager to please their parents to being uninterested. "They’re developing new independence and may even want to see how far they can push limits set by parents," according to Child Mind Institute.

Here are tips from CMI's talk with experts:

1. Don’t feel rejected by their newfound independence.

2. Set aside special time with your child.

3. Try the indirect approach.

4. Don’t be overly judgmental.

5. Watch what they watch with them.

6. Don’t be afraid to start conversations about sex and drugs.

7. Don’t overreact.

8. Don’t be “clueless” either.

9. Encourage sports for girls.

10. Nurture your boy’s emotional side.

Read here on more tips to parenting tweens.