Georgina Wilson is having the best time of her life as a mother of three.
The celebrity model and entrepreneur opened up about motherhood at the Gifted Together event, held recently at Shangri-La at the Fort, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. She attended the event as Promil Gold Four ambassador.
“It’s great. It’s truly the most amazing adventure, pero hindi siya super easy, mahirap din siya,” she told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal).
Georgina and her husband, businessman Arthur Burnand, have three children: six-year-old Archie, three-year-old Alfie, and one-year-old Charlotte.
The former VJ for Channel V Philippines and host-judge for Asia’s Next Top Model added, “It’s amazing to have all my friends being mom, too, I guess, that’s the best part of being a parent, having people to share it with, share joy and trials, and also being in a company like Promil, I learned so much.
“Para siyang masterclass on how to be a parent. I just find fascinating. I find all the tips and advice so helpful, everything from the simplest thing.
"And Archie, Alfie, and Charlotte are just [giving me so much] joy and truly are gifts in my life.”
Some of the friends Georgina referred to were her fellow It girls Solenn Heusaff, who has two daughters; Isabelle Daza-Semblat, who has two sons; Liz Uy, who has two sons; Anne Curtis, who has a daughter; Bea Soriano Dee, who has two kids.
parenting tips
When asked about what she has learned so far from motherhood, Georgina jokingly said, “Patience.”
Then she turned serious and said, “No, you know what? Learning. I think, I have great role models, my parents. My mom and my dad."
Georgina's parents are English financial analyst Robert Wilson and Filipina columnist Aurora Diaz, also the sister of Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz.
She also gave tips for her fellow moms.
1. Your kids are unique. Do not compare them to others.
"One thing I really recommend with moms is not to compare your kids. I think, that’s the number one thing.
“Don’t compare them with other children. Don’t compare them with their siblings."
She acknowledged that it can't be avoided sometimes, but she pointed out, "They’re all unique individuals so I wasn’t so fixated into milestone, because I have to know the milestones. Basta my kids are great, they’re gonna be amazing. And I believe in them."
2. TURN CHORES INTO AN EXCITING ACTIVITY
Georgina also realized her children could learn a lot from the world around them, and that learning can be fun.
She related, “I’m just trying to give them the most stimulation that I can. Even if I bring them with me to work. I always bring them, like, for example, if I have to go to supermarket, let’s do an adventure together!
"So nagiging adventure siya, even if it’s a chore. We have fun doing it. I think, it’s finding things in life to enjoy and do it with your children. They learned from everything.
"And really, just right now, my kids are at the stage where they ask question for everything—like, ‘Mama, why?’ ‘Did you know?’ They just want to share everything that they’re learning.
“So, imagine how fast their brains are growing? I think, it’s just making sure that in my day, there’s an amount allocated with work and also with them.”
3. TEACH THE KIDS HOW TO BECOME INDEPENDENT
Because of the nature of her husband's job, the family spends most of their time in Hong Kong.
Living abroad gives Georgina the opportunity to teach her kids how to be independent even at a young age.
“I always value independence for them,” she said, clarifying that although she is a hands-on mom, she believes her children should also learn how to do things on their own.
“So actually, a lot of them fly alone. Archie flies by himself. He’s very sanay to do things. I always challenge him, ‘Can you do this for yourself?’
"In that way, I wouldn’t say I’m hands-on because I want them to figure it out by himself, but I’m trying to put them in scenarios or situations that will help them grow.
“I’m not worried about them making mistakes. But I think what they do after.”