From L-R: (Standing) Marie Bilgera, Thea Masakayan, Christine Ongteco-Sandejas, Olan Pingco Jr., Iza Santos-Cuyos, Zen Arganda, Cherrie Julian; (sitting) Stephanie Ocampo, Judy Santiago-Aladin, Ronna Capili Bonifacio, April Sumugat, Em Cruz.
There’s a meme that is incessantly shared by mothers on social media. It all starts with a late period, and then you’re never on time for anything ever again, it says. I laugh at this because it’s undeniable. It’s already four days into the new year but I am only able to find the time to gather my thoughts for a yearend message after the year has actually ended.
And I’m sure I’m not alone. There are probably more of us who wish we had the time to create a vision board for our family, let alone ourselves. Let this comfort you: It’s okay we didn’t start on January 1. There’s no better time to start than now.
A mother, in particular, is no stranger to the full plate. Ever since the term ‘mental load’ was coined, we’ve felt validated for our feelings. There’s so much going on and we don’t know how to stay on top of it while ensuring our kids have a happy childhood. We wrote about it last Christmas, and we at Smart Parenting saw how the mental load eased up right after Christmas day. On December 26, there was a sharp spike in readership and we knew, “The moms survived the Christmas rush”.
But in the past two years, Smart Parenting has taken great care to become more inclusive. After all, we’re not called Smart Mothers. We’re Smart Parenting. And parenting is not exclusive to gender.
We published stories by involved fathers (perhaps one day, hands-on dad will be considered a tautology) who takes the girl dad role seriously, a father who will be his child’s friend till the kids in the playground learn how to play with him, and a feature on a policeman father who rushes home to play makeup with his daughter. We updated our colors, leaving behind salmon for a light and warm blue.
This is because today’s generation of new parents–you–are unafraid to challenge the norms of parenting and family life. Parenting is not interchangeable with motherhood, and families don’t always come with a two-parent household. And that is perfectly fine.
Now that we have stepped into a new year, allow this to be our promise to you: we at Smart Parenting will create content that respects and celebrates the uniqueness of the Filipino family, always backed with expert advice while considering our heritage and traditions. We will shine a light on your wins and walk with you through your lows. We will not judge; we will be a safe space for the daily challenge that is parenthood.
Often our name has been used against us whenever we publish content that has unpopular opinion–’Smart Parenting pa naman kayo’. Truth be told, it’s the same words our team shames ourselves with when we face personal challenges at home. Whenever we receive that–and hopefully when we question ourselves–we return to our promise: Smart Parenting will continue to embrace parenthood like it really is: imperfect, filled with gray areas, and only survivable a day at a time.
We are in the trenches of parenthood with you. Albeit late, know that it doesn’t discount our purpose.
Have a meaningful 2024 with your family.
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