Actress/TV Host Denise Laurel counts herself blessed to have such a “sweet, considerate” son who, even as a baby, was very calm. “He was not iyakin. I’m so blessed,” she gushed to entertainment website PEP in a recent interview.
Her secret? Communication. “Maybe because I explain every thing to him, and I give reasons for every thing, so hindi siya nagta-tantrums because he sees the point,” explained the 29-year-old single mom.
The environment and culture in which her 5-year-old son Alejandro is raised also plays a factor. “Because my family, we’re not iyakin din e and we’re not like, ma-emo. He’s not din. Very level-headed.”
For parents who want to keep kids from growing up spoiled, Denise stresses the importance of setting a good example.
“I will never have a spoiled child (because) I grew up very simple. Despite what people think, like, you know, they look at me, they see how I look and my last name. But it’s so different from who I am inside and how I was raised.”
Despite being the great-granddaughter of former president Jose P. Laurel and former vice president Salvador Laurel, Denise shares she lived a very simple life growing up. “I grew up without house help…so I learn from my parents, pick up from them, from where they left off. I learned independence, including cleaning the house,” she relayed to PEP, proudly sharing that her son has taken after her when it comes to household chores.
“He’s OC na rin,” shared Denise. “He mops and stuff like that.” More than pitching in, Denise makes it a point to teach him that if he wants something, he has to work hard for it.
As a single mom, Denise credits her own parents, who she describes as “super hands-on”, for helping her care for her son.
READ: 15 Stunning celebrity single moms