Moms and Dads
Iza Calzado and Coleen Garcia Share Thoughts On Mom Guilt and Screen Time
Actresses Iza Calzado and Coleen Garcia shared their thoughts on going through mommy guilt and managing their kids’ screen time.
Celebrity moms Iza Calzado and Coleen Garcia are also like moms who go through mom guilt. During a parenting forum at Robinsons Magnolia early this month, Iza and Coleen spoke about their struggles.
“Definitely there is mom guilt. And I’ve experienced that. Feeling ko hindi pa nga ako nanganganak noon, alam mo meron na. Pero lalaban ka palagi eh. Para sa anak mo. Because it’s beyond your control,” Iza shared.
“And I think parenthood, what I come to realize, is there’s a lot of letting go and surrendering, which is easier said than done,” she added.
Coleen Garcia: Mom guilt is rooted in insecurities
For Coleen, one of the things she realized about mom guilt is that it’s rooted in insecurities. “If you are a person with insecurities, which we all are, then definitely be vulnerable to mom guilt. It helps that you treat your insecurities that house your mom guilt.”
“It helps to affirm yourself to just continue to encourage yourself and to have a good support system that will remind you that you are great and that as you are, you are raising your baby by just being yourself. So it helps to manage it,” Coleen added.
Although it can be hard to talk about it, both Iza and Coleen agreed it’s very important to talk about the situation.
“Mothers out there should not feel alone that they are experiencing this because sometimes that would cause depression,” Coleen continued.
“But talking about these things doesn’t erase the fact that there are so many things, so many wins, and silver linings, and a lot of beautiful moments about being a parent.”
Iza for her part recalled a conversation prior to becoming a mom: motherhood is a form of healing.
“I think it is because as we said, it brings all these insecurities and issues that you may personally have. And what it does, it brings into your consciousness, awareness to deal with it kaya healing siya,” she said.
On raising kids in the digital age
When it comes to raising kids in the age of technology, Coleen said it’s all about adapting to it. “It’s all about how you will navigate to it. We can’t change the fact that technology is everywhere and it can be either a distraction or a tool that you can use.”
“For Amari, we were advised to do screen time after two years old and that’s what we did. It’s a matter of what the right content is for him to consume.”
Coleen added that she doesn’t let Amari watch by himself, saying that it’s important for a parent to be by their kid.
” I don’t think [technology] should be seen as the enemy. But it can be used as a tool. It’s just about the right guidance. So it’s not a total break for us parents because we still have to monitor and study everything that they consume.”
Iza and Coleen were part of the forum that Enfagrow A+ Four hosted. This also included educator Tina Zamora, child star Annika Co, and Dr. Ma. Theresa Arranz-Lim, former president of the Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
More about mom guilt:
You Don’t Need To Be Perfect: Say Bye to Mom Guilt
