Today’s Faces of Parenting: Cat Arambulo-Antonio
Cat Arambulo-Antonio knows what it feels like to be criticized online and she has learned a lot from it.
This story about Cat Arambulo-Antonio first came out in Modern Parenting’s 2022 print edition.
Making a career online is never an easy endeavor, and that’s something Cat Arambulo-Antonio knows well. As a somewhat controversial figure, she’s learned how to roll with the punches and move forward from previous skirmishes.
Reflecting and looking inward
One such thing had been her viral outburst during the lockdowns. It was a hard time for her Cat — after the incident, she took a hiatus from social media and decided to look inward. That said, this did not stop her from looking at the bright side of the situation. While their household maintained a strict “no one in and no one out” policy during the first two years of the pandemic, Cat says that it’s made them stronger.
“I learned that my husband and I could be together 24/7, breathe the same air, and share space the whole day and enjoy it,” she shares. “The pandemic also allowed us to spend more time with our kids. They slept in our room until face-to-face classes started and we ate all our meals together. [These are] priceless moments that I will always appreciate.”
In a way, Cat has found a way to turn these negative experiences into points for reflection. Another instance was the talk about her undergoing cosmetic procedures in the past year. “I’m unafraid to talk about all the work I’ve done because I stay true to myself — it’s empowering,” Cat shares. “I believe in sharing my experience to benefit others…I want people to see and know the process…
so that it can help others decide if it’s something that they may be interested in doing too.”
The key to this is raw authenticity. When asked about the things she learned about being authentically herself, Cat notes three things. One: everything is temporary; two: there is opportunity in every adversity; three: never trade your authenticity for approval. She says it best when she says this: “There is so much power to staying true to yourself. Embrace it.”
