Elisse Joson Shares Lessons on Co-Parenting, Boundaries, and Self-Honesty

In an interview on the podcast Moment to Moment, Elisse Joson shares how she’s navigating life as a single parent and co-parenting with ex-partner McCoy de Leon

When Elisse Joson confirmed her separation from McCoy de Leon last year, the headlines came and went. What remained constant was their shared commitment to their daughter, Felize.

On the podcast Moment to Moment with Coach Pia Acevedo, Elisse opened up about what life has really looked like behind the curated posts—navigating single motherhood, learning the rhythms of co-parenting, and confronting the kind of honesty that healing demands.

Because as many modern parents know, what appears “okay” online doesn’t always reflect the hard conversations happening at home.

You can listen to the full interview here.

The Strength She Inherited

Elisse credits much of who she is today to being raised by a single mother.

“I was raised by a strong single woman. Growing up, I saw my mom doing everything for me,” she shared.

As an only child, she witnessed firsthand what it meant for a woman to carry both roles. She rarely saw her mother cry. Strength was the standard.

“Nakita ko na ang babae kayang gawin ang lahat,” she said. Looking back, she realizes that this became both her armor and her identity.

Now that she’s raising her own daughter, she understands more deeply the quiet sacrifices her mother made—and the emotional resilience she passed on.

“It says so much of who I am now.”

Raising Felize with Space and Self-Awareness

Like many parents raised in survival mode, Elisse knows the instinct to overcompensate. But she’s choosing intention over fear.

“Mas bibigyan ko yung anak ko ng own space to make room for mistakes,” she said. “I’ll just be by her side to guide her.”

It’s a mindset shift that defines modern parenting: less perfection, more presence.

Elisse acknowledges that parenting evolves. What worked before may not work now. Boundaries need to be in place—but so does respect. And understanding the difference requires constant self-checking.

Growing Up Without a Father—and Building Her Own Family

While she never felt something was missing growing up, becoming a mother gave her a new perspective.

“I felt all the love from my mom,” she explained. “But now that I’m building my own family, medyo nanibago ako. I didn’t know how it should be to have a male and female energy in a household.”

That unfamiliarity, she admitted, sometimes led to miscommunication. Without realizing it, she would overstep or struggle with shared roles. It’s an honest reflection many adults from single-parent households quietly navigate when creating families of their own.

Co-Parenting: Still Learning, Still Trying

Co-parenting, Elisse says, is something she and McCoy are still figuring out.

“It hasn’t been that long, so medyo hindi pa namin alam masyado i-maneuver around. But we are trying to find ways that work for us.”

With two homes now part of Felize’s reality, clarity and reassurance have become priorities.

“Ang importante is we show her that we’re present in her life and that she’s not the reason why we’re apart.”

Her message to her daughter is simple but powerful: “We’re still a family. She still has a mom, she still has a dad. The set-up is just different.”

The early days weren’t easy. It even took seeing Felize’s reaction in school for both of them to fully realize that whatever tension existed had to take a backseat. Their daughter’s emotional security comes first.

As for reconciliation, Elisse says the focus right now is peace—not possibility. Protecting the harmony they’ve built matters more than revisiting the past.

Letting Go of the “Complete Family” Dream

Growing up without a father, Elisse once held tightly to the dream of building a “complete” family.

“That dream of how it’s supposed to be is still there,” she admitted.

But healing required her to confront reality.

“I had to be honest with myself… that the dream of a complete family in my head is not the story for me anymore.”

It’s a painful acknowledgment—one that many parents quietly wrestle with when life unfolds differently than planned. But in letting go of the ideal, she’s learning to embrace what is.

Healing Beyond Coping

After the breakup, Elisse threw herself into wellness routines and nights out. She thought staying busy meant she was moving forward.

“Little did I know that it wasn’t healing at all,” she confessed. “It was just me coping.”

Eventually, she found herself asking harder questions. Is this the life I really want? Am I truly at peace?

For her, healing meant going inward.

“I have to go deep and within. It’s going to be a journey,” she said. “Nasa first step ako—I accepted what happened. And I was honest with myself.”

Now, she’s leaning on faith for the next steps. But clarity, she believes, starts with truth.

And when there is clarity, the path becomes easier to see.

In sharing her story, Elisse reminds fellow parents—especially single moms—that healing isn’t linear, co-parenting isn’t perfect, and families don’t have to look traditional to be whole.

Sometimes, the bravest thing we can do for our children is to be honest with ourselves first.

More on Elisse Joson and Felize

Janella Salvador And Elisse Joson: Moms Of This Generation
Here’s What We Know About The Elisse Joson and McCoy de Leon Love Story
Elisse Joson Thanks Her Mom with a Series of Photos
WATCH: Elisse Joson Melts Hearts With A Reel of Her With McCoy and Felize