5 Tips on Dealing with Tweens from Lucy Torres-Gomez

Lucy Torres-Gomez continues to be a busy woman in 2012 now that she's on her second year as representative of Ormoc, Leyte. In the April 2012 issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine, the congresswoman shares the fulfillment she's felt from doing public service.

“When we first won, the district was number 12 in the region in terms of accomplished projects with the [Department of Public Works and Highways]," she shared with GH. "Last December, which was a year and six months into my job, we became number one in the region already, which means we implemented all the projects on time, within the right cost, and the right quality also."

Apart from her public service commitments, Lucy also occasionally accepts rackets in showbiz such as her stint as a judge on talent show Talentadong Pinoy. But despite her full schedule, there's one thing that always remains first on Lucy's priority list, and that is her family. Lucy's 11-year-old daughter Juliana joined her for the GH cover shoot, and during the interview, Lucy revealed the ups and downs of motherhood and how she successfully deals with her tween. Keep reading to find out what she said!


1. BE THEIR FRIEND.

“Juliana and I watch TV shows together. We also read together. It’s nice nga now eh, kasi before I’d read to her, but now there are times when she reads to me. Also, when I do my errands she goes with me.”


2. LET THEM FLOURISH AT THEIR OWN PACE.

“I believe that Juliana will blossom in her own time. Like now, she’s better with dealing with strangers—when I say strangers, it’s really people she has just met for the first time. Before she was painfully shy, even in her school programs, but now she doesn’t cower anymore in one corner.”


3. SUPPORT THEIR DREAMS.

“I never want to be that kind of parent who imposes her dreams on her child. My prayer for Juliana is to really be the person that God decides her to be. Whatever that is, I don’t want to say that I want my daughter to be this and that because maybe that’s not what God planned for her.”


4. PRESENT A UNITED FRONT TO YOUR TEEN.

“We should not not agree in front of Juliana. For example, Juliana asked if she could go to camp. Ako, I don’t like. Si Richard, ok lang with him. But when she asks, he doesn’t say yes and I say no. We talk it out first, and it’s no, she’s not allowed to go to camp.

“Juliana would say, ‘Mom, I’m the only one of the few who won’t go to camp.’ I say, ‘It’s okay Juliana, I don’t care. But I never went to camp as a child, and I turned out okay.’ I’m not comfortable with sending her off to camp, maybe because when I was growing up, we were never allowed also.”


5. TAKE THINGS ONE DAY AT A TIME.

“When I am faced with any situation, I go back to what my parents taught me. It serves as my general guide to how to deal with growing-up issues. But I’m lucky that Juliana is an easy child. Matanong, pero hindi masagot.”


To learn more about Lucy's life as a public servant, wife, and mom, grab a copy of Good Housekeeping's April 2012 issue, out on stands now!

Also in this issue:

• Seafood Fiesta: 8 Easy Recipes
• No Air-Con Required: Tipid Tips to Stay Cool
• Make MORE Money: Invest in stocks, start your own business, and more!

Watch Female Network in the coming weeks for behind-the-scenes photos  from the cover shoot with Lucy Torres-Gomez and her daughter, Juliana.


(Behind-the-scenes photo by Mike Dee)