These Celeb Moms Shared Great Tips For Keeping Your Sanity While Raising Your Kids During The Pandemic

Geolette Esguerra

Our editor-in-chief led the morning's discussions about coping with pandemic parenting and maintaining self-love in spite of everything that a mom needs to juggle at home these days.

Bianca Gonzalez-Intal on "compartmentalizing"

"How do we adapt? How do we adjust? In my case, because of my work as a host, when also business adjusted, within the month of March to mid-April, biglang people needed hosts because everything was suddenly online. I was forced to adjust right away. I set my work boundaries pretty early on. And I always say that I’m so lucky to have a support system with me here at home, my husband, our ates who take care of my kids whenever I have work. And very early on, I was able to compartmentalize, and I think that helped keep my sanity talaga. Meaning, I tell them, okay, for example, 'Mommy has work, I’m going up which is actually the bodega-turned-work-from-home room. Mommy has work. I’ll see you before you eat lunch.' I’m very specific about when they’ll see me again. So that everybody knows that at that time, I’m working. And it was so important for me to adjust na even if I hear my baby crying in the other room, you have every instinct as a mom to run to her. No, I’m dedicated that my role at this time is to host this event or this show and dito ako 100%, because at this moment, this is what needs me and this is my work that will help put food on the table. Compartmentalizing has massively helped keep my sanity."

Bianca on her me-time

"Me-time for moms during the pandemic is really para-paraan, I think. Scheduling has also been key to our sanity... At night, when everyone is asleep, that is my precious time, as in! That is the time I have snacks then I listen to podcasts or I take 'yung mga masterclass. 'Yun talaga 'yung nagpapasaya sa'kin. So to all the mommies here, find that, 'yung talagang something that gives you joy kahit sobrang babaw lang. Then do that in the window that you have."

Photo Credit: @iamsuperbianca

Andi Manzano on the importance of scheduling

"For me, when it comes to work, I’ve always been a stay-at-home mom. I would work from the house, so it wasn’t a big adjustment for me. It was more of job titles were added, like teacher, tutor. So for me, compartmentalizing everything, scheduling everything, and really just knowing your priorities... Scheduling works!"

Andi on moms being the heart of the household

"My me-time is waking up really early... Around 5:30am, I’m awake already. I’m having my coffee. I don't do masterclass or podcast, just watching dramas that make me happy or even when I’m about to put my daughter to sleep or she’s sleeping, I’d just open my phone and then I just start watching. Those little things make me so happy already. Or just, you know, locking yourself in the banyo, having like a nice 5-minute shower, parang you feel like a new person. The simple joys or the simple me-time that you can find in a day, it really helps you keep your sanity and it makes you happy. And 'di ba the moms are like the heart of the household so I feel like when the mom is happy, the mom has so much love to give, the house ends up becoming the same as what you’re feeling."

Photo Credit: @andimanzano

Sofia Andres on the adjustments that come with going back to work as a new mom

"In my case, may taping, so we really have to be away from our daughters or kids for 15 days or 30 days. I finished it naman for one series but after that, I was like, parang it’s not healthy anymore, because parang I was having attacks. Nami-miss ko 'yung daughter ko. Pero I have to work. So sabi ko sa handler ko, p'wede po kaya work from home na lang? Or 'yung endorsements that I can post on Instagram so I can be with my daughter. It’s just really time management and also, it doesn’t feel like I’m working now because I work with my family also and my photographers are my helpers so at the same time we’re having fun. Walang pressure."

Sofia on how she makes time for herself

"I wake up talaga 6am to do my routine, my meditating or sometimes cycling. Para paggising n'ya, I’m ready na, parang alert na ako. Fight fight fight na. It’s rejuvenating at the same time. It gives me [a] sense of sanity… And 'yung shower talaga na medyo hot or warm, 'yun 'yung the best! Du'n ako nakakapag-isip... Nakaka-relax, nakaka-complete ng araw."

Photo Credit: @iamsofiaandres

Mikaela Lagdameo-Martinez on taking things one day at a time

"It really has been a rollercoaster ride, because if you look at everything, the whole year that has passed and even how everything is so uncertain, it really gets overwhelming. So, what I’ve been doing is really taking it one day at a time, so that little by little, so that you don’t feel that there’s this weight on your shoulders. Okay, one day, 'Thank you, Lord, we’re all healthy.' Another day, 'Thank you, Lord, that we are blessed and safe.' So it’s really one day at a time for me."

Mikaela on making it a point to explain every situation to her kids

"On times when they can't be with me, I always make it a point to explain, especially to the youngest one. I say, 'Mommy has work. I’m gonna lock the door, okay?' Because the first few times, he was crying. It’s so funny because now they became clingier, I don’t know. Maybe because, before, we would go out on events, but now it’s like the whole year, we’re just home. They’re so used to us being around… It really takes a lot of explaining, really sitting down until they understand. And I think the little ones are so smart. They know when mommy has work. I always explain, like, 'How will I help daddy? How will we eat? How will we buy toys?' You really have to explain it in their own little world. If we are trying to adjust and trying to understand things, what more them? They can’t go out to play in the park anymore. It’s like their whole world just shrunk into home, so it’s really important to explain to them as well, so that they’re able to cope and adjust."

Photo Credit: @mikaelamartinez

Jodi Sta. Maria on accepting that "it's okay to not be okay"

"When the pandemic started, I felt overwhelmed. I was in shock and I didn’t know what to do, and parang everyday was just not real and you’re like in denial, that this is not happening. 'No, tomorrow will be better.' 'Maybe next week, okay na. Maybe next month, wala nang lockdown.' And then parang it’s not improving, I don’t know what to feel. I’m so confused but then later on, you just get the hang of it. Okay, I have to adjust to the situation and you just have to do certain things to help yourself also. And parang this year, I can freely say na it’s okay to not be okay. There is no point in denying what you really feel just to appear strong and to seem like you got it all together. But I also got into exercising just to have an endorphin, serotonin boost to help my mental health. I just follow the daily routine so that gave me a sense of control amid the uncertainty. What did I do? Ah, limit social media use. I think sobrang nakatulong din to have social media detox once in a while. Just be conscious of who you follow and what you see out there and what triggers you. It’s helpful."

Jodi on sticking to her non-negotiables

"Before the pandemic happened, me naman kasi, I already have my non-negotiables, especially for time with my son or travel. We go on travels together so I have schedules really blocked off, that’s sacred for us. Hindi p'wedeng galawin 'yun... But when the pandemic happened... and then when work started to come in, s'yempre 'di ba, maiintindihan ito ng ibang influencers, now we do our own shoots. We shoot at home, meron ka nang pa-ring light and you invest in a camera tapos parang 'yung demand lang ng work now is different. Feeling ko, just because people know that you’re stuck at home, parang anytime may requirement, padala mo. Parang laging ura-urada. But of course, kahit nasa bahay tayo, we have other things to do. Hindi lang 'yun ang gagawin mo. So nag-stick pa rin ako sa kung ano 'yung priority ko, kung ano 'yung mga non-negotiables ko so hindi p'wedeng galawin."

Photo Credit: @jodistamaria

Lia Bernardo on "choosing yourself"

"What’s so important right now is you choose yourself… it’s the healthiest thing for your emotional wellbeing to choose yourselves first in spite of having small children, in spite of having babies. In spite of everything you do, find time for yourself and choose yourself. So the question I’m asking right now is how are you going to choose yourself today? And just take it one day at a time, and if one day is too overwhelming for you, take it one hour at a time, like how will I choose myself right now?"

Lia on finding a way that works for you

"Find a way that works for you, because no one is in your household, no one is your mind, no one is setting up your family dynamic except you. At the same time, no one has the right to tell you what you’re doing is wrong or right. If it works for you, it works for your family, it works for your partner and your children, keep doing it. If it doesn’t work then try something else. But for someone to come in from the outside to tell you what works and what doesn’t work for you, that’s complete disempowerment. You set up your home in a way that complements and supports you, just like the way you setup your life."

Photo Credit: Ronan Capili