Christine Bersola-Babao is a woman of many talents. She’s a producer, TV host, author, and entrepreneur—not to mention a dedicated wife and mother. In the April 2011 issue of Good Housekeeping, Tintin reveals the joys and trials of a busy wonder mom. A normal week for her includes shooting for her Saturday show, Kabuhayang Swak na Swak; hosting her online parenting show, Parentin.tv; and going on the air with her hubby, Julius Babao, for their weekend radio show, Magandang Umaga Julius at Tintin. She’s also constantly busy with fundraising for charity, brainstorming for her next children’s book, and working on her t-shirt business called Makabayan Tees. With so many projects under her belt, you’d think Tintin would have a hard time keeping up her with family, but this proud hands-on mom manages to take care of her children and spend time with her husband every day. What parenting advice does Tintin have to give to her fellow moms, whether they’re career women or housewives? Read on for five tips from her.
1. MAKE TIME FOR YOUR KIDS BY MANAGING YOUR SCHEDULE WELL.
If you’re a busy mom like Tintin, having an organized schedule makes it easier for you to keep up with your work and family responsibilities. “I use this,” Tintin tells Good Housekeeping, taking out her cellphone where all the dates on her calendar are marked carefully. “I attend all my daughter’s parent-teacher conferences and school activities. I’m there for her check-ups,” she shares.
2. TEACH THEM ABOUT THE JOYS OF GIVING.
Tintin shares how her life growing up has inspired her to constantly give back now that she’s successful. “I wasn’t born rich. This is all because of hard work,” she explains. “I saw how charitable my mom was and that’s where I get it.” To instill the same values in their children, she and Julius bring their daughter, Anya, to Gawad Kalinga sites. “She was excited to give them gifts and even sang for them,” Tintin recalls. “Hopefully, we’ve planted the right seed.”
3. MAKE LEARNING FUN BY LOOKING AT THEIR INTERESTS.
Tintin encourages Anya to conquer her fear of swimming by using her interest in underwater creatures. Anya, who watches fantaserye Mutya on TV, is an avid mermaid fan. “..I said, ‘All mermaids are expert swimmers. If you want to be a mermaid, you have to know how to swim,’” Tintin says. “She said, ‘Okay. When?’” Now Anya is excited for summer so that she can try swimming.
4. LIMIT TV TIME, AND READ TO YOUR KIDS.
Tintin relates how you have to be creative when it comes to disciplining your children nowadays. “Kids are different now,” she says. One of the things Tintin is staunch about is not letting her children watch TV at too young an age. “I’m seeing if [our son] Nio can go two years without being exposed to TV.” She and Julius also make it a point to read to their children for at least 10 minutes every night.
5. LET THEM USE TECHNOLOGY, BUT DO IT WISELY.
While Tintin says it’s hard to monitor Anya’s technology usage—Julius has an iPad that Anya loves using—she’s not against her daughter using them altogether. “I’m all for [her using a Wii] because when she’s on [it], she exercises without knowing it.” Developing your children’s habits when it comes to using technology is something that can eventually be rewarding. According to Tintin, Anya even downloaded a spelling game by herself.
To read more about Tintin’s life as a supermom, grab a copy of Good Housekeeping’s April 2011 issue out on stands now!Also in this issue:
Your Ultimate Summer Guide
Find the Perfect Swimsuit for You
Stressed Ka Ba? Instant Ways to Relax
(Photos by Stanley Ong)
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