Leni Robredo has many facets—lawyer, congresswoman, and lone woman vying for the second highest elective position in the land, to name a few. But she is, first and foremost, a mother.
Here are a few parenting lessons we can learn from this super-mom of three.
Make time for your kids.
Congresswoman Leni knows that the struggle is real when it comes to finding the elusive work-life balance, but she seems to take it all in stride. After long days spent working in the Congress, she would sometimes call her daughters to ask them to wait up for her so that they can have dinner together.
Now that she’s on the campaign trail, she’s oftentimes seen with her daughters in tow, who campaign enthusiastically for their mom, or the VP hopeful gets off the trail to attend a school function, knowing that no matter what happens, her daughters come first.
Get to know what your children like and enjoy doing.
Who is her youngest daughter’s celebrity crush? The congresswoman knows, and fondly posted a photo of them together, with a teasing caption to boot. For family vacations, she lets her children decide where to go and what to do for the most part.
She doesn’t necessarily fit the credentials of the stereotypical “cool mom”, but she doesn’t need to be one in order to be able to connect with her daughters—merely keeping communication lines open keeps her in the know.
Step back and relax.
A photo posted by Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) on
She mentioned in a magazine interview that compared to her late husband, Secretary Jesse Robredo, she was the more relaxed parent, and her daughters agree with her. The lawmaker credits this relaxed nature to how much she trusts her daughters, knowing that they were raised well enough to make their own decisions and life choices.
Her eldest daughter says that she likes doing what she can to help her mother out, like helping her sisters with their schoolwork or preparing food for the family, just so she can take some tasks off her mom’s already overflowing plate.
More parenting lessons from Leni Robredo on the next page.
Be empathetic towards others.
The VP hopeful’s campaign highlights her previous work with the marginalized sectors, and seems to aim for the heartstrings of mothers in particular.
She’s propped up to be a champion for women, banking not only on her credentials, but also on the fact that she’s a woman and mother. This isn’t a new strategy, and neither is it used solely by the Congresswoman in this year’s campaign period.
But unlike some politicians, she comes off as genuinely caring for others. Raising a compassionate, empathetic child won’t just benefit those around them, but it will also help children deeply connect with anyone they meet, making them more sociable and happy in the process. Being empathetic is a wonderful trait for adults to have, too!
Read: 5 Tips for raising empathetic children
Lead by example.
While this might put tremendous pressure to an already stressed out and sleep-deprived parent, it’s a matter of fact that parents are their children’s first teachers, role models, and heroes.
The example that Congresswoman Leni has set for her daughters is to not just be an exemplary wife and mother, but to be a woman with a whole lot of heart, determination, and readiness to heed the call to be of service to others.
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