Mommy Talks

Mommy Talks – Michelle Padrelanan

May 15, 2012 3 Comments

Mommy Talks is featuring different homeschooling parents. Our guest for today is one of the first homeschooling moms I have ever contacted when I was still researching and thinking about homeschooling my daughter 2 years ago. I am thrilled that she agreed to be featured over my blog today! Without further ado, let me introduce our guest for today, Ms. Michelle Padrelanan.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION

I am 39 years old, married for 17 years, with 4 children and another one on the way. I’m a WAHM – I blog, write articles for pay, and I review homeschool products, books and family-friendly movies on DVD. My husband, Dale, works in one of the major hotels in the country and is very much devoted to us. Our eldest is Bethany, she is turning 17 this year. She loves to play the guitar, read, and is a very helpful Ate to all her siblings. Our second, Naomi, 13, is the actress of the family. She loves to sing, does funny character imitations, and is her Ate’s assistant in caring for their younger siblings. Gabby is our 3rd daughter. She is 7 years old and is already a very young fashionista who takes after her Ate Naomi. She loves to sing and dance as well. Our current youngest and only boy is Joshua. He is turning 5 years very soon! At a young age, he is very personable and a very active boy. I say he is the current youngest and only boy, because I am due to give birth to our 5th child, another baby boy, this June. All of us are looking forward to this precious addition to our family.

HOW DID YOUR HOMESCHOOLING JOURNEY BEGAN? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO HOMESCHOOL?

Our homeschooling journey began when I was about to enroll Bethany in Grade 1 in 2002. I sent her to school when she was 5 years old where she finished two years of schooling. When she was still in school, she would go to class for three hours everyday and come home with assignments. I noticed that when I did not tutor her at home, she will not pass her tests in school. I was still working then and there was a period of time when I was unable to teach her at home. This resulted in a poor report card grade for her. Her teacher spoke to me and basically blamed me for her poor grade. Well, this got me thinking. I thought to myself, “I’m paying the school to teach my child, but she will not learn anything if I don’t tutor her at home. What am I paying them for? I’d better just teach her myself. I know I’d do a better job at it.” At that time, she also had a teacher with poor English diction from whom she has learned words like “i-snake” and “i-school”. I mean, that teacher is a dear, but I really just cannot accept that my daughter was already speaking like her. When I corrected her, she said that’s how their teacher taught them. Even before she graduated, with honors, from that school, I began taking action.

I had already heard of homeschooling from other Christian families and started making inquiries. The first homeschool primer I attended was the one that Marlyn del Rosario and other moms like Irma Chua, Angeli Panganiban and Dodette Manguerra hosted. I was so inspired hearing them talk about their homeschool! They spoke of kids loving the Lord will all their heart, the children’s freedom to learn what they wanted to learn at their own pace, the daily freedom from commuting to and from the school, the freedom from bullies and peer pressure. Looking at those families that day, I knew that’s what I wanted.

Our family’s journey to homeschooling began. I describe it as a journey because it really is. Homeschooling is a major part of our life. When we describe our family, we always say we are homeschoolers. It has not been easy. I wear many, many hats – wife, mother, household manager, homeschool teacher, daughter, sister, friend. The homeschooling lifestyle is very different. It’s not like I can set aside all the other things in our lives so that I can blissfully homeschool them. I always have to choose what I will have to do first. If any of us are sick, we stop for a few days and concentrate on getting better. If I have to help my husband with our business, I have to leave assignments for my children to accomplish on their own. We don’t always get things done. In fact, my children are a little bit late academically. But we have continued on with this lifestyle because of its many benefits.

The benefits are being free to teach our children about God and His love for them; a very close family bond; and well-adjusted and obedient children. Though academics are important and we expect them to excel, we place a higher value on character development and attitudes. After all, what good are good grades in school, if they don’t know how to manage their lives well in the future?

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO STOP HOMESCHOOLING?

Have I ever thought of stopping? All the time! It’s really the easiest thing to do – to hand over the reins of their education to a school. It will mean a lot of freedom for me. But when I think of how far we’ve come, how much we enjoy being together, how blessed I am to see them learning, how blessed I am that my children are obedient to us – I forget all the hardships.

DO YOU HAVE SOME TIPS YOU CAN SHARE WITH THOSE WHO ARE CONSIDERING TO HOMESCHOOL THEIR KIDS?

A few major things:

1. Be one with your spouse in your desire to homeschool. It’s hard to make a go of it if your spouse is not supportive. The tendency is that the non-supportive spouse will listen to every opinion there is about homeschooling and will try to discourage you from doing it.

2. Get to know your children better. Reach their hearts first and you will not have a problem teaching them. With hearts already open to you, the teaching comes very easy.

3. Get God into the loop. It’s easy to begin homeschooling. What’s difficult is to sustain it. If the only reason you homeschool is to maybe avoid the high tuition fees, then this is not enough to see you through. Like many of us, we homeschool because we believe that it is our God-given duty to do so. We do it because we know there is a higher standard of parenting and that the God of the Bible is holding us up to. I gather my strength from the Lord. Without Him, I really won’t be able to do it at all.

Michelle has already given birth to their baby boy last April 22, 2012. Her son is premature at only 30 weeks gestation. As of this time, he is already three weeks in the NICU and is recovering well. All is well, by the grace of our loving God! You can follow Michelle at her blog Beyond the Silver and the Gold. Know more about a Filipino family’s homeschool journey.

Filed Under: homeschool, Mommy Talks, motherhood Tagged With: homeschooling mom, Michelle Padrelanan

Mommy Talks – Joy T. Mendoza

May 7, 2012 2 Comments

Mommy Talks is back for its second season! This year, we are starting off by featuring different homeschooling parents. Our guest for today is someone who I look up to. I am thrilled that she agreed to be featured over my blog! Without further ado, let me introduce our guest for today, Ms. Joy T. Mendoza.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION

I am a wife, mother, homeschool parent, newbie blogger, and consultant to a homeschool program called, The Master’s Academy. Edric and I are blessed with four children – three sons and a daughter. After giving birth to my fourth child, Edric and I decided that it was best for me to be at home with the children and to focus on homeschooling full-time. (Prior to this, I was helping out part-time with TMA Homeschool’s preschool department.)

Motivated by the desire to help young families with their homeschooling, and with the extra time I had on my hands as a homemaker, I decided to start a blog last year called “Teach with Joy.” It offers a 360 degree perspective on homeschooling. As a once-upon-a-time homeschooled kid, a home school program consultant, a homeschool parent, and someone who also went to a conventional school, I have seen homeschooling from all sides. But one thing I don’t claim to be is an expert at parenting or homeschooling. My journey as a parent is in its early stages, and I invite people to learn from my mistakes, failures, comical moments, and triumphs. At the end of the day, I want people to discover the joys of parenting and homeschooling with me. Most of all, I want to bring glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HOMESCHOOLING?

I started homeschooling our eldest son, Elijah, when he was just a baby. Coming from a family who homeschooled taught me a couple of things about education. For one thing, homeschooling is a lifestyle. Based on that definition, I have been teaching for the past nine years.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO HOMESCHOOL?

When Edric and I decided to homeschool, it was in response to our God-given responsibility that we must teach them to love, know, serve, obey, and worship God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5-7) and to train up our children in the way that they should go (Proverbs 22:6). First and foremost, it was an act of obedience. Everything else was secondary – time, effort, ability, materials, sacrifices, etc. God supplied the answers to our secondary concerns. But to be honest, I was sold on homeschooling even before I became a mom. Since I had grown up in a homeschooling family, it was the same lifestyle I hoped to have for my own children. I praise God that Edric was all for it.

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO STOP HOMESCHOOLING? WHY OR WHY NOT?

Not yet. We take it one year at a time. As our family grows closer to one another and our children grow in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man (Luke 2:52), homeschooling remains our lifestyle of choice. Since God told us to homeschool, he will also tell us when it is time to stop.

COMING FROM A FAMILY WHO HOMESCHOOLED, WHAT DID YOU LIKE THE MOST? AND WHAT DIDN’T YOU LIKE?

I liked the family bonding, quality time together and quantity time, the closeness and security of family, and most of all, being taught to love Jesus and live for him. I didn’t have anything I disliked about homeschooling.

DID YOU EVER FELT LIKE YOU “MISSED” OUT SINCE OTHER KIDS ARE GOING TO A CONVENTIONAL SCHOOL?

I didn’t feel like I missed out on being in a conventional school. When I did go into a conventional school, I was surprised at the values of people and the things they talked about. A lot of focus on boys, talking about others, “fun”, and how the cool people were the slackers and rebellious kids. I wish I could have been homeschooled longer. I don’t think I was spiritually ready for the peer pressure.

SHARE SOME TIPS ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING YOUR KIDS

Tip # 1: Begin with a goal for your children and then align what you do as a homeschool parent with that goal. Head in that direction.

Tip # 2: Don’t focus on what you cannot give or do not have. Parents sometimes tell me, “I’m not patient enough. I don’t know if I can do that. I still have to work…” If God calls you to homeschool, he will supply the grace, ability, wisdom, creativity, and provision for you to do so. He will sustain you.

Tip # 3: Get connected to other homeschoolers. Community is important to homeschooling families. A support group helps you go the distance. Sharing your experiences, challenges, and best practices with other homeschool moms or dads gives you weekly encouragement.

Tip # 4: Have an out-of-the-box perspective on education. Homeschooling is a way of life, it’s not sitting a child at a desk for four hours every day and taking the conventional school system into your home. There are many homeschooling methods that work for each type of child and family, and many different learning styles that need to be accommodated. Once you let go of the “conventional school mindset,” homeschooling becomes fun and enjoyable for both you and your child.

Tip # 5: Focus on character first before academics. The academics part is easier when children are attentive, obedient, responsible, trustworthy, diligent, etc.

Tip # 6: Be a Christ-centered parent. Issues like impatience, anger, frustration, lack of motivation, stress and the like are manifestations of me-centered parenting. The key is to walk intimately with God.

Tip # 7: Pray for your children. Ask God to give them a teachable and responsive heart to your instruction and training.

You can follow Joy at her blog Teach With Joy. Discover the joys of homeschooling and parenting!

Filed Under: homeschool, Mommy Talks, motherhood Tagged With: homeschooling mom, Joy T. Mendoza

Mommy Talks – Janice Villanueva

October 13, 2011 Leave a Comment

Our guest for this week is a personal inspiration to me. She is the woman behind Mommy Mundo (this is where I got to know her first) and many others. The more I get to know her, the more my admiration grows! I hope that as you read this post, you will be inspired to do more for the things that you are truly passionate about. Let us welcome ms. Janice Villanueva.

Chris: Hi Janice! I am so happy that you agreed to be our guest for today’s Mommy Talks! For those who don’t know you, can you share something about yourself?

Janice: Hello! I’m Janice and I’m a mom of 3 kids! My eldest son is 14, my second son is 12, and my youngest child is my 5 year old daughter. I am an active mom and just as active mompreneur! Together with my husband, Gary, I run several businesses- Creative Juice, an events and communications agency, Mommy Mundo, the go-to portal of resources for moms (we do events for moms, we publish freezines and websites for moms, we run advocacy programs, all for moms!), Mommy Matters, manufacturer and distributor of nursingwear and handy products for moms, and Mercato Centrale, a weekend lifestyle and food market in BGC. I have 4 advocacies, which I promote through Mommy Mundo- healthy pregnancy, breastfeeding, active parenting and mompreneurship!

Chris: How did MommyMundo and your other ventures start?

Janice: Together with fellow advocates and like-minded mom friends, I’ve actually been doing mom-focused events, publications, and initiatives since the year 2000. When my cousin Candice and I set up Mommy Matters more than 10 years ago, we realized then that moms were in need of support and information on breastfeeding. So we took on the advocacy of promoting breastfeeding to moms and pregnant moms through intimate talks. Soon we were doing events in malls, seminars for 400 -500 moms, bigger and bigger events for mroe and more moms– well, because there was a need and a yearning for it. As a support to this advocacy to help other moms, I also started publishing free guidebooks for moms- Mommy Pages, a free directory for moms, also available online since 2007 on www.mommypages.com.ph. Now I have 3 more “free reads” for moms- a freezine called Urban Mom, and 2 guidebooks we published with GSK’s support, Infanticipating and First Year of LIfe. In 2006 with pioneer childbirth educator Rome Kanapi, we started organizing what we would call the first lifestyle expo for moms, EXPO MOM, which also later became known as “the mompreneur market”. We also organized unique events like Mommy Milkshake Marathon, Daddy’s Basketball Bootcamp, Moms on the Floor, Expo Kid. It was actually on in 2010 that we launched our “mother brand” (pun intended), MOMMY MUNDO- to give all our projects one name/ one brand. Soon after we did this we also launched our advocacy networks, MomShare our outreach arm, and Mompreneur Manila, the first mompreneur network in the Philippines.

Chris: Wow! I have always been interested in MomShare. Can you share more information about MomShare? How can other moms join?

Janice: We have sooo many things going on throughout the year, but one thing that is really close to my heart is MomShare! I thought of setting this up after Ondoy, when we saw so many moms bringing their kids with them to relief centers, or moms packing relief goods at home and really involving their kids in the campaign and mindset to be of help to those in need. We felt that a lot of moms want to help, and want to involve their children, given the opportunities to do so. So we set up MomShare, and through our events, we raise funds for specific projects, usually choosing mom and child beneficiaries. We pledge 100% of registration fees to almost all our events to go to MomShare thus donations are 100% coming from the Mommy Mundo community. We try to empower Moms to help other moms. MomShare is moms sharing with those in need! We also collect donations of books, pre-loved mom and baby stuff, toys etc, school supplies and handle its turnover to the institutions which need the items the most. MomShare has helped fund life-saving surgeries of babies. When we have outreach events, we call out for mom and kid volunteers to join us, and we have had art classes with orphans with our mom-friends helping facilitate the art workshop with us. So much fun!! All moms can join! Just like our Facebook page or sign up for our mailing list on our website and watch out for our call outs for volunteers:)

Chris: With everything that you do, was there ever a time you wanted to quit or stop?

Janice: Oh Yes i go through these down times too, specially when I am physically tired or if there are difficult challenges or negative circumstances that happen. Thankfully, so far, i’ve always bounced back and regained my energy and determination. I guess I just try to focus on the positive, and being grateful that I am doing what I love doing. Plus what always comes at the right time are emails or texts from moms who really take the time to say “thanks” or tell us how much they enjoy our events or read our website or publications. It is just so inspiring to know that we are actually touching lives and as one mom told me, we are “creating happy memories” for them. At the end of the day this is what gets me going!

Chris: How do you balance your work and different activities with your family life?

Janice: Maintaining balance is something i have to work on constantly. But I have several strategies/reminders for myself this which I try to always keep in mind:

1) Knowing my priorities. When there are schedule conflicts, it is easy to decide which one to attend to first if you know your priorities.

2) Of course sometimes, being a responsible and professional businesswoman, specially that Im in the service industry, it is not always possible to drop everything. Having a supportive husband and an efficient team is essential. My husband and I are partners in raising our kids and partners in business. If i cant avoid attending to the business, then my husband attends to the children. If he cannot, then I take over. IN the same manner, if we are both needed for something by our children, we are blessed with an efficient team to handle our businesses and still keep our clients happy.

3) As much as possible, when with the kids, be PRESENT. Not only physically but mentally and psychologically present. CONNECT with them for even just a few minutes a day, and that usually means turning off the gadgets/ tv/ and talk to them, read stories, do something with them, sit down with them on the floor, get goofy with them, talk in their language, get to know them.

4) Always make time for things that matter. My husband and i go out of the country once a year, just the two of us, to reconnect and bond. We also take the time to go on trips with our kids whether around the country or abroad because time away from home for us, is the best way to bond with them. When school schedules and client permits, we bring them along to our events and to our work- so that we are together more, but also for future training for them so they can take over the businesses from us and we can retire already. HAHA!:)

Chris: I am sure there are many moms out there who wants to follow your footsteps… do you have a message for them?

Janice: For moms who want to be as crazy busy (and as happy and fulfilled) as me ? Find your passion and pursue it to the hilt! If it’s something you are passionate about, it will never feel like work! That is worth some looking into right?

Chris: Thanks for the inspiration Janice! May you continue to “create happy memories” for other moms out there!

Get to read more about Janice from her personal blog, janicevillanueva.com.

Filed Under: Mommy Talks, motherhood

Mommy Talks – Olga Espino

September 29, 2011 7 Comments

Our guest for this week’s Mommy Talks is Ms. Olga Espino from the mommy blog The Tottering Mama. I have been inspired with her story and her blogs about her kids so I want to share her story with you today.

Chris: Hello mommy Olga! Thanks for agreeing to be featured today here at Mommy Talks. For the benefit of those who don’t know you yet, can you share a bit about yourself?

Olga: My husband Jasper and I have been married for three years. Our eldest daughter, Jade, is three years old and our son, Jakei, is two. I’ve been an academic tutor to high school and grade school students for more than ten years now. I had to trim the number of tutees I could accomodate to not more than three students so I could focus on taking care of my two toddlers. This year, I also discovered the vast blogosphere and have been actively blogging at http://www.totteringmama.com/ since. I also won a domain for a food blog, http://www.foodiemomster.com/, which I am still trying to build.

Taking care of my husband and our two toddlers, preparing all our meals, running the household, ghostwriting, blogging, and my afternoon tutorial sessions keep my world alive, colorful, and meaningful.

Chris: How about your family?

Olga: Four years ago, my husband and I were greatly surprised to find out that we were having twins. It was a difficult pregnancy from the very beginning and we have had to deal with subchorionic hemorrhage, bleeding, growth discrepancy between the twins, and premature contractions.

Our twins were born prematurely at 32 weeks and weighed only 1kg and 1.5 kg. Although their APGAR scores were both 9,10, they were both taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit due to their prematurity and very low birth weight. Jade, our 1kg baby, had to stay at the hospital nursery for 2 months before she had gained enough weight for the doctors to allow us to take her home. Jake, who seemed to be healthier as she was the bigger twin, succumbed to respiratory distress and went home to heaven instead of to our house.
Barely five months after giving birth to the twins, we found out that we were expecting a child again. Soon after, our little boy Jakei joined our brood.

Now, our 3-yr-old daughter and 2-yr-old son keep our home full of joy and laughter. They turn the house(and everyone else in it) topsy-turvy but we can’t imagine living life differently.

Chris: Can you share what happened to Jake?

Olga: This is the neonatologist’s final diagnosis:
Immediate Cause: Respiratory Failure
Antecedent Cause: Severe Pneumonia with bilateral Pneumothorax s/p bilateral chest tube thoracostomy

But I would like to think that after days of fighting for her life, Jesus decided that she would be better off with Him where there is no pain and suffering. So on the 87th hour of her life, He finally took her in His arms and brought her to God’s garden. I love envisioning her playing happily in God’s garden with all the other angels there.

Chris: How did you and your husband cope? Who or what was instrumental in your recovery?

Olga: My husband was able to accept what had happened and was able to move on quickly. He told me that on Jake’s third day in the PICU, he prayed to God and offered our child to God knowing that God had a plan for her and for us. My husband wanted the best for our baby but also had faith on what God wanted.

I, on the other hand, was distraught and became an emotional mess. I blamed myself for what had happened to my daughters. I felt that if I had taken care of myself more while pregnant, my twins would not have been born prematurely. My Jake would have still been with us and my little Jade would have been healthier as well. I suffered from postpartum depression, the severity of which we managed to hide from other members of the family. It even came to a point when I finally decided to end my life thinking that everyone would be better off without me. Had my husband not stopped me in time, I would be some place I really wouldn’t want to be.

From then until now, my husband has done his utmost best to hold the family together. My father-in-law has also helped us by giving his full support and understanding. My parents and my sisters have also helped keep my sanity in check. The toddlers have also given me the strength and the reason to move on and to accept what I cannot change. Without my family’s support, I would not be able to recover from my depression.

Chris: We know that your child was still young when your baby went to be with the Lord. Did you tell them about their sister?

Olga: My daughter was still an infant also and my son hadn’t been born yet when Jake went to heaven. My eldest sister made a poster of Jake for her wake and funeral, we’ve kept it and placed it beside Jake’s urn. My other children see it everyday and know that they have a sister in heaven.

On Jake’s death anniversary last July, my daughter saw me crying and told me that it was ok and that I shouldn’t cry. When I told her that I was crying because I miss Jake very much she matter-of-factly said, “But Jake is just right there. She’s in our picture.” And every night, before our children go to sleep, my husband would always remind them to include Jake in their prayer. My daughter Jade would say “Jesus, please say hi to Jake in heaven”.

Chris: Did you learn any lesson from this experience?

Olga: I’ve probably learned more life lessons in the past three years than all the lessons I’ve learned since I was born. Here are some of the most important ones:

There is no need to put the blame on anyone. When I lost my daughter, I first blamed myself for not taking care of myself well enough. Then I blamed my husband for not exerting much effort in keeping me happy throughout the pregnancy. Then I questioned God why He blessed me with two children only to take one of them away so very soon. In the end, I finally realized that it was really no one’s fault neither did anyone want Jake to suffer the way she did.

Learn to accept things that you cannot change. I wallowed in grief for so long. Every night I would cry and tell myself that I should have done this or I should have done that. My husband was the one who made me realize that crying would not change anything and that living a life full of regrets is not living at all.

Never question God. I did, so many times. Only to come to the realization that God’s plan is always perfect. We may not always fully understand why we go through difficulties in life, but always, always, have faith in God’s perfect plan for each of us.

Chris: Do you have any message you may want to share with other parents who might be undergoing the same thing as you did?

Olga: Here’s what my husband always tells me, “Learn to cope with life. Always hope for the best and expect the worst so there will be less disappointment. And never ever lose faith in God, for He is the only one who has all the answer to life’s problems.”

Chris: Truly inspiring and encouraging. Thank you very much for sharing your life and experience with us.

Filed Under: Mommy Talks, motherhood

Mommy Talks – Maricel Laxa Pangilinan

September 15, 2011 7 Comments

September is here and we are celebrating our 3rd year anniversary this Month! We have another very special guest for Mommy Talks this week. She is the author of Meet My Superdad, SuperBenj, I Love You Yaya Handbook and Mommy Talk. She also is a multi-awarded actress and TV host. She also helps out with the family business together with her husband of 17 years Anthony Pangilinan: she is the vice president for BusinessWorks, a company that conducts motivational seminars for clients. She is also a Product Specialist for The Master’s Library, a consultant and trainer for The Parenting Company. Let us all welcome Ms. Maricel Laxa- Pangilinan!

Chris: Hello Ms. Maricel! Welcome to Mommy Talks! Thank you very much for agreeing to be featured today. I am so excited to start our short interview… so to get things started. Can you briefly share how many kids you have and what are their names?

Maricel: Hello! My eldest daughter is Ella and followed by Donny, Hannah, Benjamin and 2 month old Solana.

Chris: Are you a hands- on mom? Can you share some stories.

Maricel: Yes, I’m very hands on. Every detail of my children’s development from conception to delivery and throughout their milestones in life, I document, I’m a part of and celebrate with my husband. I am a wife and a mother and I consider both my highest calling.

Chris: How do you discipline your kids?

Maricel: I keep in mind the fact that to discipline means to train. Therefore, I train my children according to how they best respond to the style of discipline I administer and it also depends on their age. All of them appreciate being talked to in a calm and mild manner and respond well to being made to understand what expectations there are of them before a disciplinary action is given. They learn best when there are logical consequences for their actions. For example, if they went overtime with their use of electronic gadgets, it is most logical to withhold its use for the time being instead of grounding them from spending time with friends because it’s not necessarily related to what they did wrong. I have also learned that engaging them in a discussion wherein they are asked what they think can be improved in their choice of action produces a more conscious child.

Chris: How do you handle sibling rivalry?

Maricel: There is bound to be sibling rivalry somehow when you have a handful of children in your care..they all long for our undivided time and attention, etc. What we stress to our children is that we all love them differently because they are unique individuals who are special in their own way. We also try our best to spend as much time with each one on individual dates and carve out time each day to listen to each one’s needs. I make sure I am available for my children before they leave for school and I will be first to greet them upon returning home to listen to their thoughts and experiences throughout the day.

As a family we wind down together with a time to share our hearts before bed and pray together as a family. Those are precious moments that make our family ONE. We encourage bonding times among the siblings. Sometimes, the Ates and Kuyas separately and now with the baby, I also allow them to take turns caring for the baby. We also, as much as possible allow them to settle their issues amongst themselves and intervene only with the permission of the party or parties involved.

One that I believe has solidified our family teamwork is our triathlons which we do together. We train, compete and enjoy the whole process together. That’s why we call ourselves: TEAM PANGILINAN We Tri Together.

Chris: How do you handle being a celebrity mom? Were there any pressures?

Maricel: I find being a celebrity mom a privilege to be able to inspire mothers through my endeavors. Initially, there were lots of pressure to conform to the ideal expectations of people but after a while, I realized that I best inspire when I’m real-without having to pretend, I just am my imperfect me who tries to be better at being mommy.

Chris: What is your favorite “mommy moment” with your kids?

Maricel: Countless moments…everyday is precious. I document them in my journal. I am blessed to have my family. We are not a perfect bunch but we love each other and want the best for each other.

Chris: Do you have a message for other moms?

Maricel: Chill. That’s what my kids always remind me of. When I CHILL…. It is a manifestation of resting and being still and trusting all my cares to one who supplies all my needs..my creator, my life..Jesus. So I try to CHILL because as mom, I am merely a steward of what God has given therefore I take my marching orders from HIM and not do only what pleases me. I serve a master for higher purposes. That my children may know HIM and enjoy HIS presence. That way, we overflow to others and become inspirations.

Chris: What an inspiring message mommy Maricel! Thank you very much!

You may catch Ms. Maricel Laxa- Pangilinan through Momworks (The Longest Parenting Show on TV)for the Lifestyle Network (airs Sundays (premiere) 8:30pm* Mondays 3:30pm* Wednesdays 10:30am* Fridays 9:30pm* Saturdays 10:00 am). She also writes a weekly column for the Philippine Star called Mommy Talk (12 years and counting!).

note: photo credits to Ton Francisco.

Filed Under: Mommy Talks, motherhood