Zia Dantes has reached the stage of curiosity; a period when a kid gets to be too much to handle.
Her mom Marian Rivera chooses to take it in stride.
At the launch of their latest endorsement, the Kapuso actress says, "Sinasabayan ko siya, 'Energetic ka? Energetic din ako!' Ganun!
"Kasi may mga times kasi na ang likot ng anak mo. Natatawa ako kasi minsan, may field trip kami sa school 'tapos nakikita ko yung ibang nanay na, 'Oh my gosh!'
"Sabi ko, 'Ah, ayoko maging ganyan.' 'Pag malikot anak ko, 'Ah malikot ka... where do you want to go?'"
Marian is not the 'nang-aawat' type of parent.
The Kapuso actress continues, "So mas maganda na nasasabayan mo siya as long as wala naman siyang ginagawang masama, why not?
"The more na pinapagalitan mo, the more na inaawat mo, e, wala namang ginagawang masama? E, di go!
"Example niyan, minsan sa garden namin, minsan ang daming depende kung umulan, may lamok or whatever.
"Parang, 'Anak, hindi ka puwede lumabas!' So, ako ang point ko, kawawa naman yung anak ko, gusto niya mag-explore outside, e, di samahan mo siya di ba? As long as walang ginagawang [masama], nag-e-enjoy yung anak mo, samahan mo yung anak mo."
This parenting style was shown in one of their YouTube videos. Daddy Dingdong Dantes let his daughter run around Hong Kong Disneyland. At one point, Zia tripped and fell, but she immediately told her dad, "It's okay, I'm brave."
The couple's method seemed to take inspiration from French parenting, which gained popularity after Paris-based American author and journalist Pamela Duckerman released Bringing Up Bébé in 2012. She called it "Le Pause," which teaches kids to self-sooth in time of distress or discomfort.
The only downside, according to Marian: "Yun lang, mas mahirap 'pag buntis ka."
Marian is in the last semester of her pregnancy and expects to deliver in summer.
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