They say motherhood isn’t just a position you have, but a posture you hold. Motherhood is one of the most difficult jobs there is. It marks a new chapter in every woman’s story. It gives you a new strength in yourself, something you didn’t know was there until you had children. It also gives you a new sense of purpose and meaning in life. And so, in lieu of Mother’s Day this coming May 12, 2019, Sunday, The Asian Parent asked a few supermoms their biggest life lesson they learnt as a Momma.
MOMBOSS
Joanna Mojica-Chan
Chief Media Officer of Dentsu Aegis Network Joanna Mojica-Chan believes that “there is definitely similarities in the skills one uses in the workplace and in the home, the manner by which these skills can be used should be very distinct.”
She cites an example, “The choice of words and the tone by which it is delivered to convey a similar message is different when corporate jargon is mixed into the household language.”
Dorothy Dee-Ching
According to Dorothy Dee-Ching of Unilever, “Work never stops, but children grow up so fast, so know your priorities!”
She adds, “There will be some things you will have to learn to say ‘No’ to so you can say ‘Yes’ to spending quality and quantity time with your kids—playing with them, teaching them life skills and values, and just being there for them every step of the way!”
Maimai Madrid Punzalan
With the marketing director of APAC, J&J Maimai Madrid Punzalan she realizes that “it’s definitely isn’t easy to be a mom and lead a team, but being a mom has helped her become a better boss.”
She explains, “I have learned to be more patient with my team. I realized how important it was to know each one in a deeper way, understanding their individual strengths, weaknesses & motivations.”
She adds, “This enabled me to have a more personalized approach in how I work with each of them that better unleashes their potential. Because this is what I learned when caring for my three kids. They need to be nurtured differently as they develop at a different pace—I just have to invest the right amount of time and effort for each one.”
Bernadette Zulueta
Mom of two girls, blogger, and founder of @millennialmomsph, Bernadette Zulueta shares that her biggest lesson she has learned as a momboss is “to always be reminded by one’s purpose.”
She says, “Everything should be aligned to the mission. If it is not aligned, it is not a priority.”
She adds, “Every day, I offer up everything to God. The focus is to do God’s will at all times most especially in the work He entrusted me to do.”
Louise Santos
@mommypracticality of three boys, blogger, band vocalist, TVC/voice talent, and host Louise Santos also shares her biggest life lesson as a Momma.
“I’ve learned as a Mom Boss is that more than good grades and achievements, our kids need to be raised with a kind heart. A kind heart will always result to empathy, compassion, tolerance, grace, and self-control towards others.”
She believes that values are more important now in this day and age.
“We need these values now more than ever and best way to achieve this is to begin at home, by raising our children well. To be able to raise them well, we have to be their role models. We can only be good role models if we have the correct heart—a heart that is molded with love and prayers.”
Rachelle Carpio
Mommy blogger and one of the @mommybffs, Rachelle Carpio (@wondermomma.ig) affirms that, “the word momboss creates a lot of pressure. When you’re one, you feel like you’re someone who is in control and always on top of things.”
Although she is a career woman, she knows she can’t do everything.
“I would like to think that although I am a momboss, there are things which I will not be able to do and I’m at peace with that. I’ve learned to let go of the mom guilt and to cut myself some slack when motherhood gets too overwhelming. Only then can I really be a momboss.”
Cheryl Justiniano
For Momma Cheryl Justiniano, the biggest life lesson she learned as a momboss is to be the best version of yourself—”to be competitive, empathetic, and kind.”
She expounds, “Empathy allows us to lose judgment in favor of acceptance and kindness is a virtue. I have an only daughter, and she is a miniature version of me. I have to be careful and cautious, because I am her first and longest lasting role model she will ever have. What I do, how I lead as a parent, how passionate I am about work, how I show my love for her Dad will impact her perception of the future and how she sees life.”
Gwen Serrano
As for Momma Gwen Serrano she believes that being a working mom taught her that “motherhood and the uncertainties that go with it should be experienced with an open and excited mind. Motherhood should not be viewed with a rigid mindset.”
She explains, “I sometimes have the tendency to think that as a mom, I should always be in control of every situation and that I should always conform to what’s been ‘written.’ As reality throws different circumstances in front of me, I sometimes feel frustrated when things don’t turn out as planned or when my parenting isn’t exactly the same as what I’ve heard from experts or fellow moms.”
She adds, “As a momboss, I learned that my desire to give the best for my child should motivate me to be creative in exploring other possibilities when things don’t go my way.”
Ina Arabia-Garcia
Country manager of Tickled Media Philippines Ina Arabia-Garcia shares her take on motherhood: “As a mom of three young kids who are definitely a handful, I have learned that having a career that respects you are a mom too will make you more successful.”
She adds, “And leading people at work is like having work children who you need to take care of, nurture, and develop. I’ve learnt to be more patient and understanding now than when I wasn’t a mom yet,” she continues.
MOMPRENEUR
Nadine Smith
Momma blogger @scenesfromnadine, event host, VO talent, writer, and singer Nadine Smith believes that being a mompreneur taught her that it’s possible to have the best of both worlds, “You can be both a hands-on mom and still have a thriving and fulfilling career or business at the same time.”
She also quips, “I thought back then that having a baby meant that I would need to choose only one option, or that if I choose both, I would fall short somewhere because I wouldn’t be able to give my 100% to two completely different things.”
She even expresses that “if you are passionate about something and committed to it, you will make it work and you can succeed in your choices. It’s not always easy, but with the right mindset and a good support system, it can be done!”
Jasslyn Tan-Tan
Mompreneur Jasslyn Tan-Tan learned that determining your priorities is the most important step.
“For me, my kids are my number one priority. I set my working hours around their schedules, which means I work mostly at nights when they are asleep and a few hours in the mornings when they are in school.”
Juggling family and business is tough, but Jasslyn makes it work somehow.
“With this decision, many growth and expansion plans for Orange and Peach have to be sacrificed, but I don’t regret it at all. I am just grateful and happy to be able to pursue this passion of creating products that can help moms nurture their babies better and in the process, meet and learn from fellow Moms too.”
Jan Tan
For Jan Tan, owner of Stip’s Chips, finding the right balance between family and business “takes time and that there are no short cuts.”
She adds, “Accept and surrender that this is the reality and strive to be better each day. Most of all, enjoy the ups and downs for when you look back, it’s the journey to success that counts.”
SINGLE MOM
Jessa Acosta
For single mom wonder woman @jessaacosta, “The greatest learning I had being a single mom is knowing that I am enough, I am complete.”
She reveals, “It took some time to realize that I don’t need a husband or a partner to raise a happy family. But the moment I finally had it in my system, everything went smoothly. I became more independent and resilient, I managed my time and finances better, and I established a deep relationship with my son—and that is really priceless!”
Richelle Ramirez
Single momma and one of the @mommybffs, Richelle Ramirez (@leias_mom) shares, “The biggest lesson I’ve learned as a Single Mom and a First-time Mom is knowing that in spite of those times that you feel so alone and sad and not knowing what to do… there is actually someone in a crowd of many, behind you, willing to connect and listen and share the journey and beauty of Motherhood.”
She adds, “Your life doesn’t stop the moment you knew you were conceiving, it actually opens up another chapter of your life and brings forth so many other opportunities to learn and grow!”
Going on this journey called motherhood opened up her world.
“As a Mom-Blogger and Lifestyle Influencer, my life now evolves now into sharing my own experiences to those people who may be needing it or maybe to those who just wants to listen and learn a thing or two. I can only do so much as an individual but the thing I like the most is when I get to inspire fellow moms to do the best they can and help empower others as well.”
She has this message to fellow moms: “Either you’re a Working Mom or a Hands-On Mom to your kids, you still have one goal – to provide the best care and love to your kids and help them grow to be the best version of themselves!”
MOM WITH BIG FAMILIES
Berlin Domingo
Editor-in-chief of @hoyanongganap, co-founder of @bksmomsph, blogger, and key opinion leader Berlin Domingo (@momiberlin) shares, “As a mom with five boys, life can be pretty exhausting as each child plays on each strength that would test my patience. At times that I am confused, not knowing where to get that patience, I turn to love. With love, there is no hard and wrong; there is no tired or fed up, but only patience and understanding.”
HOMESCHOOL MOM
Feliz Lucas
For Mommy blogger @felizlucas, her biggest life lesson as a homeschooling mom is that her children are a reflection of who she is.
Camille Alipio-Luzande
B/vlogger momma, starclozetter at Clozette, project manager and content creator of Hey Manila, TAP writer, graduate student, and homeschool teacher to her baby boy, Camille Alipio-Luzande (@wanderingwondermom) believes that “being a Mom isn’t an easy job, but it’s definitely the best job anyone could ever ask for.”
“Being a mom is just so magical,” she surmises. “You can be a mess and still be a good one—we are allowed to be both.”
Motherhood, she says, has empowered her.
“The biggest life lesson I learnt as a Mom is that becoming a mother made me realize that I can do almost anything… one-handed (LOL) and I can portray any role… all at once (LOL)! Definitely, motherhood is unselfishness because when you become a mother you are no longer the center of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children, even to your spouse.”
She adds, “I learnt that a good Mom has bad days, great days, normal days, overwhelming days, perfect days, trying days, supermom days, just being-a-mom days, and definitely a whole lot of love and crazy motherhood days—all days are definitely WORTH IT.”
STAY-AT-HOME MOM
Candice Venturanza
After working for a decade, @candiceventuranza decided to quit her job as a magazine editor to focus on her family because they have been wanting to have another child. Her eldest was already 5 years old at that time. She and her husband thought that it would be the perfect time to give their son a sibling.
“Within five months of being a stay-at-home mom (SAHM), I became pregnant. I thought, ‘How wonderful!’ I would bring my son to school, take care of my newborn, and maybe try yoga. How hard could it be? I had all the time in the world since I wasn’t working anymore—right?”
She quips, “How foolish of me.”
She narrates, “When the baby came, I had to relearn everything about childcare. Between breastfeeding, driving my son to school, and managing the household, I barely had time for anything else. My only goal for the day is to be able to take a bath before my husband comes home. (I didn’t want him to see me in the same house clothes I was wearing when he left the house!)”
Now that she’s back in the work force as The Asian Parent Philippines’ head of content, Candice has a newfound admiration for both stay-at-home and working moms.
“The biggest lesson I learned as a stay-at-home mom is appreciation for fellow SAHMs. It’s a thankless job with no salary, no breaks, and no sick days. It’s real hard work.”
Gracie Maulion
Stay-at-home mom Gracie Maulion describes that motherhood can really change a woman.
“From being a workaholic person, we’ve decided to close our shops so I can be a full time mom to my child. Being a hands-on mom is not an easy role. I’m still learning to forgive myself everyday for not being able to do everything. But I’ve learned that on my own I cannot be a good mom without God’s grace.”
She adds, “I’ve learned to embrace that motherhood has different seasons, and I’m in this season of messy floor, clingy child who asks 5,000 questions a day (haha!) I’ve learned as a full time mom that our kids grow up really fast so we need to cherish the moment and invest on their memories. I’ve learned that the best things in life aren’t things and being a full-time mom made me see what truly matters—the intangible things.”
MOM OF MULTIPLES
Kristen Cruz
Obstetrician gynecologist Dra. Kristen Cruz (@docten_obgyn) recalls, “Before I had the twins, I thought I was very independent. But upon giving birth, one great lesson that I learned is that it’s perfectly okay to ask for help. Clichè as it may sound, indeed, no man or in our case, no MOM is an island.”
Frances Ang
Food blogger momma and brand & influencer marketing manager at Tickled Media, Frances Ang (@frannywanny) says that the biggest life lesson being a twin mom is “the realization that unconditional love is very real and nothing brightens up your day more than receiving twice the amount of kisses, cuddles and happy screams every single day.”
Motherhood is one of the most sacred journeys you will travel in life. Every mother has their own path to motherhood, but the rewards are the same. So take the road less traveled, and pave your own way. Enjoy it, cherish it and embrace it.
Happy Momma’s Day to you!
Also read: 25 women share how motherhood changed them