WonderMoms: The millennial way of raising and nurturing kids

Mothers are known to bring life to the world. They are our source of warmth when everything feels cold, our light when the road seems dark, and our shelter when all else turn against us. All their hardships that molded us into what we are today are truly a gift that we should always be thankful for.

Take the case of these millennial mothers. When it comes to dealing with their children, there’s no denying that parenting can be challenging sometimes. But with the right approach in resolving issues, being a mother can also come with sweet, motivating rewards.


QUESTION:
As a millennial mom, what are the challenges that involve your children and what are your efforts to resolve them?

ANSWER #1:

Mela Cervantes Abrera, 32, is a woke millennial and a proud stay-at-home mom. Her hobbies include taking care of her cats and her two lovely children. She’s a mental health advocate from various mental health support groups in the Philippines.

Her being a mental health advocate is helpful in handling her children well even when it comes to their nutrition. According to Mela, although her first-born daughter never had any problems with food, her son, on the other hand, is diagnosed with a feeding disorder called ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).

“Most people tag him as "maarte" or "spoiled." He had to undergo Occupational Therapy for a year with the help of a psychologist and a nutritionist. He gained weight and is now at the right height and BMI for his age,” Mela narrated. “It's very difficult making most people understand it, but my priority is making sure he is healthy and doesn't associate food with any anxiety or negative thoughts—not what other people think.”

ANSWER #2:

Niña Defensor is an indoor rowing instructor, makeup artist, cosmetic tattoo artist, and mom to an almost-3-year-old girl. Her daughter spends a lot of time using gadgets, which can sometimes be a problem.

Despite her efforts to control her daughter’s exposure to technology, she had to give in and allow her 2 to 3 hours of screen time a day. Even with that allowance, however, there was still a struggle in controlling her daughter’s technological cravings.

“Gadgets are accessible everywhere these days and are being used at her school for educational purposes. It’s become the norm for her. So when screen time is over, the tantrums begin,” Niña shared. “As a single mom with no nanny, I work a lot and use the computer most of the time. Whenever she sees me exposing myself to technology, she tries to express that it’s not fair—which is true! So finding the right balance, the correct words, and the right energy to explain to your 2.9-year-old, the circumstances are quite the challenge.”

ANSWER #3:

During her 4th year in college, Diana Barrientos, 21, got pregnant with her son. According to her, the journey to motherhood wasn’t easy for her especially when she and her husband faced a financial crisis.

She had to sell homemade spicy carbonara online to augment her husband’s take-home pay and provide for their daily expenses and maternity needs.

Although Diana admits that she’s not fully aware of her options for her child’s future financial plan, her willingness to be financially literate and her eagerness to profit from her spicy carbonara business are what make her a wiser millennial mom.

“Aware naman ako, pero hindi masyado. Mag-oopen sana ako ng account kaso busy sa thesis dati. Siguro ‘pag may stable work na ‘ko or pagkakakitaan, magtatabi ako para sa future niya.” said Diana.

These WonderMoms all have their own ways of overcoming the struggles they face with their children, whether it has to do with their nutrition, exposure to technology, or their finances. That's why BDO offers various services to help these moms cope amid all these challenges.

To help moms teach their kids proper money habits like saving in a bank, BDO Unibank offers a Junior Savers Account for kids age 12 and below. For as low as P100, moms can open an account for their kids age 0-12 years at any BDO branch, and it will start earning interest upon reaching P2,000 in deposit balance.

Moms can even arrange regular contribution into their child's account through its Easy Saver feature that allows the automatic transfer of a preset amount from an existing BDO account to the Junior Savers Account.

In addition, with BDO’s weekend banking, extended banking hours, and electronic banking service, moms can allot time to do their banking transactions even while they are busy taking care of their children, doing some errands, or swamped with work.

BDO takes inspiration from the best: moms who always find ways to help those that they care for the most.