03 July 2019

My Formula to Be a Zero Worries Parent

I have two daughters, Sophia and Samantha. They have a 9-year age gap. People are always amused when they learn about that miniscule fact about my kids. Comments about how difficult it's going to be when they become adults are inevitable but is it really necessary to point that out?  I mean, isn't parenting a tough task in general no matter what gender and age gap our children have? I don't think there's a cookie-cutter way to follow, you know. I believe, though that there's no harm in doing what those ahead of us have done already especially if they actually succeeded. Well, this is a huge topic that a single blog post won't do justice but as a mom for more than a decade, please allow me to share with you a few things on how my husband and I raise our girls with zero worries.

My best ever life is to joyfully spend it with these two. ♥

Okay, before you judge me for being so internet-fake with the zero worries phrase, I hope it's clear with you that it's figurative. It's not possible to raise a child with zero worries! Moms worry all the time, I worry all the time. Anxiety is synonymous to my name. In fact, there are times when I can't even sleep at night thinking about my girls' future - career, first boyfriend and will they ever learn their way in the kitchen like I do? See how I worry for them 20 years ahead? I can be a worry freak, I tell ya. But worry begets wrinkles and palpitations, which I strongly avoid at any cost. So as the primary parent of our offsprings, I created a formula to actually make the impossible hopefully possible. The results cannot be seen and enjoyed yet but I'm holding on to my goal because I got a great God who got my back.

Would you like to know the formula? It's quite simple. Basically, a kid must have these three in order for a parent to have zero worries:

UNSHAKEABLE FAITH + PROPER EDUCATION + GRIT FOR GREATNESS = A ZERO WORRIES PARENT

Is it too much to take for your toddler, preschooler and even your tween? I know it kinda sound like a John Maxwell theory to success but really, it's nothing like that. 

Unshakeable Faith

This has nothing to do about the religion of your family but it pays to believe that there is Someone bigger than all of us. When your child talks to God (or to the universe or a plant or whatever) about her hopes and dreams, it makes her more excited about life. Talking to the Big Guy regularly who don't literally answer back is already a sign of faith! Her personal relationship with Him can make her believe that life is beautiful despite the many obstacles (i.e., stacking Legos, classmates who don't share Oreos or why she can't watch her favorite series on Netflix during weekdays) she's going to face. Sophia can't go to sleep, no matter how sleepy she is, without reading her devotional Bible. She also never forgets to say grace before eating. Meanwhile, my 18-month-old toddler knows that prayer comes first before YouTube during mealtimes.

And at the end of the day, when all parenting hacks, tips and tricks fail, you can leave it all up to Him. He is the most amazing parent ever!

Proper Education

We've tried progressive school, homeschooling and now she's back to an exclusive school for girls. My husband and I love learning and we both believe that having a proper education is the key to a decent country (and government). We put Sophia to her school now because we trust that they can help us raise our daughter well. I understand that not all families can afford to put their children in a reputable school. But it's part of my formula so there. 

Grit for Greatness

When I was younger, I thought I didn't have this in me. I thought that I'm someone who easily gives up after a failure because I thought that my mother's tough love wasn't what my emotional self needed. I recently realized, though that I actually am enjoying the fruits of this exact tough love I am talking about. You see, I dreaded my mother's hourly rounds of yelling bouts reminding us to fix our beds, clean ourselves, wash the dishes, etc. I felt like a slave then! I even reached a point when I hated Mama for always telling us to do house chores. I just wanted to study and be cute and enjoy listening to boybands. But here's the thing and I hope it reaches the back of the room - I still washed greasy plates and cleaned dusty rooms even if it was hard for me then because I knew Mama was right. I knew that what I was doing will be beneficial for me in the future. I can't enumerate the many benefits I'm enjoying now but one would be knowing how to make a house a home. Isn't that such a wonderful thing to have in this day and age of celebrating mess and clutter? So what did it teach me? Grit. Perseverance. Tenacity. And now that I'm a mom, I find myself doing all those house chores with my eldest. I always tell her that washing dishes (her main task at home during weekends) is as mundane as can be but it means that she has food to eat. The more the grease, the yummier the meals.

She loves it when we have huge bottles of dishwashing liquid, haha! 

To have zero worries as a parent is work itself but I hope that with this formula, it can be a bit easier for you to achieve your goals in raising a humble, hearty and healthy child. 

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Disclosure Policy: This post is sponsored by Joy Dishwashing Liquid but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Please allow me to share this part of their press release with you.


"With our effort to continuously innovate Joy to help Filipino families achieve their Best Ever Life, we introduce the new Best Ever Joy that can wash more plates with just one bottle. This means more savings for families that they can use to lead their best ever lives. The Best Ever Joy is so good that its new formulation was able to clean 17,500 plates with just one bottle of Joy, doubling our own record of 8,750 plates 20 years ago,” shares Meir Yap, Dish Care Brand Manager at Procter and Gamble.Joy celebrated this momentous occasion through the nationwide #BestEverLife Salu-Salo. The celebration first started on June 23, 2019, near the San Juanico Bridge."

3 comments:

  1. I love it,ms. D! Thanks for sharing this.

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  2. Honestly sobrang nakakaworry talaga oag Baby Girl. Pero salute to you Mommy D because you're doing great. #Goals and #Peg kita hehehe. And start 'em young talaga sa halos lahat. Sa totoo lang tayong parents din talaga ang dapat mag instill ng values and good conducts sa mga anakshie natin para paglabas nila sa outside world rest assured tayo na keri nila makipagsabayan 😍

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