I have long accepted that as a mother, I can be friendly to my children but I won’t always be their friend.
Otherwise, they will just see me as fun Mommy and not the Mommy who can discipline them when they’re out of bounds.Continue reading“Conversations with Nicholas Louis”
There are so many reasons why I feel that life is unfair.
I cannot list down all the details. I am not strong enough to write them down just yet. Maybe in the future, when I am stronger enough to share them.
I know I am not alone in this; we’ve all been through it. The dark days, the times when you feel betrayed, the moment when you feel that your worth is judged by your mistakes.
I was traveling around China and Hong Kong for 10 days when I felt that way.
I was not in my best mental and emotional state.
It helped that I was visiting places that were both familiar and new to me. In Shanghai, I revisited Fudan University, where I spent hours studying Chinese and learning how to live life abroad. In Zhangjiajie, I went on a nature trip and walked on a 4,700-feet high glass skywalk. In Guangzhou, I enjoyed a cup of coffee at the Garden Hotel, the very place where my twin children learned how to walk and run. In Hong Kong, I revisited the place where Jeff and I decided to commit to each other seven years ago.Continue reading“Straighten your crown”
Some mothers appear to have figured out everything.
Because social media is a curated version of every person’s life, the pages and accounts of these mothers are filled with positive, energy-boosting, utopian posts of an ideal Mom; the kind who seems to have time for every single milestone or development in her child’s life.Continue reading“Stability and variety: Why there is no such a thing as striking a balance”
I like to believe I’m a fun Mom.
I place much emphasis on play and taking my children out for outdoor fun. On August 24 to 25, we went on a camping adventure at the BSP (Boys Scouts of the Philippines) Capitol Hills South Camp in Barangay Kalunasan. Continue reading“Why take your children out for outdoor fun”
In my column over at CDN Digital, I wrote about my practice of going on four monthly dates with my children.
I wrote:
“The first date is with Nicholas; the second with Antoinette; the third with Jeff Jr.; and the fourth with all three of them.”
READ HERE: Nanay Says: Ate Kuya
The dates need not be lavish or elaborate. Sometimes it’s a trip to an animal park; other times it’s just a walk to a nearby sari-sari store to buy chocolates or lollipops. Continue reading“Why monthly dates matter to you and your children”
I am scheduled to host an online show this afternoon in relation to the upcoming May 13, 2019 elections and here I am in my home-office corner staring at the books on my shelves. 
There is a good list of titles on the second level: Milne Shepard’s Winnie-the-Pooh, Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Jack Kerouac’s Lonesome Traveler, Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth, Cecilia Brainard’s Magdalena and The Newspaper Widow, and some book on potty training. Continue reading“The truth about potty training”
Miguel is a young boy and just like any other boy, his world revolves around play. So focused is Miguel about play that he forgets to take a bath. He goes to sleep as a filthy boy, with no worries about going to bed covered in dirt and grime.
He woke up one day with mung bean seedlings growing out of his ears! Imagine all that dirt inside those ears that made those seedlings sprout! Continue reading“Recommended Read: Just Add Dirt”
It was Saturday and I promised the twins they are in for an adventure that would require bringing their swimsuits even though we are not going to the pool.
I worked for about three hours that morning but thankfully, I have a job that allows me to bring my children. The venue for my coverage that morning was also child-friendly so I was able to do my job, wrap it up and then proceed to SM Seaside’s Skypark for four hours of solid playground happiness.
Continue reading“Ruffolo Travels: Saturday afternoon play at SM Seaside’s Sky Park”
School is over after the twins’ Moving Up ceremony on April 13 but before we could even plan out our activities for the summer, McDonald’s sent us an invitation to join them as they treat selected children in Cebu for a glimpse of the “Kiddie Crew Workshop: Explorer Edition!”
And so on a Sunday, March 31, on my day off (hooray!), Ate Joy and I packed two bags and brought the mutants to McDonald’s North Reclamation Area branch for an afternoon of play and adventure. Continue reading“Time to explore with McDonald’s Kiddie Crew Workshop”
