Janella Salvador Gets Real About Co-Parenting Struggles

Janella opens up on co-parenting fears: How will it shape Jude’s mindset?

Published on Sep 17, 2025

Janella Salvador recently opened up about co-parenting with former partner Markus Paterson and how motherhood has reshaped her views on love, family, and life.

In an interview with Bianca Gonzalez for The B Side on Cinema One, Janella admitted the setup is not easy. “Honestly, it’s a struggle pa rin talaga everyday to be able to like, especially as young parents, adjustments talaga e, parang compromise. You would have to really work through it.”

“Now kasi, Jude most of the time is with me because his dad is in the UK. So, he’s working there, and every now and then he would call up Jude. Dati kasi he was here e, then he would borrow Jude for the weekend, ganyan-ganyan,” she explained.

Putting Jude’s Well-Being First

Parenting alone part of the time comes with constant second-guessing, and Janella revealed she often worries about how their setup might affect Jude.

“Iba-iba siya e, parang hindi siya ‘yung smooth sailing lang. Co-parenting is a different experience rin talaga. And at the same time, you’re always thinking, I don’t want to allow na magkaroon ng opportunity na ma-feel niya na ma-affect siya because of our setup. I always want him to still be able to grow up with a healthy mindset.”

Dealbreakers in Love

Motherhood didn’t just change Janella’s day-to-day—it also raised the bar for how she views love and relationships. She shared, “It’s a no-brainer. ‘Yung mindset ko talaga is, kung sino yung papasok sa buhay ko, I’m gonna be very, very clear about how it’s gonna be like because I have a kid. If it scares them away, then so be it.”

“Ito ‘yung dealbreaker ko, ito ‘yung rules ko, ito ‘yung plus one ko na siya for life. So, like, you have to be able to handle that. And not just handle that, you have to be a good example. And really be able to take care of, like, be with me through this, throughout this journey of raising a kid.”

The actress also shared the most important lesson raising Jude has taught her: “I learned that in order to be able to take care of another human being, you have to take care of yourself first. I want him to see me. Kasi imagine if your kid sees you and you’re not okay growing up. You’re just stressed all the time. Hindi ka masaya. What kind of environment would he grow up with? So ‘yun ‘yung natutunan ko. I have to pour into myself din from time to time. So, I can take care of him.”

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Janella shared that Jude, who’s about to start Grade 1, has begun noticing her showbiz career. “He sees me sometimes on TV when I would do ASAP. And sometimes he asks na now, Is mama an actor? Is mama an actress? Gano’n. Like, yes. And he was like, I want to be an actor.”

Although she’s open to the idea of Jude exploring showbiz one day, she admitted she hopes he waits a little longer.

Janella and actor Markus Paterson welcomed their son, Jude Trevor Paterson, on October 20, 2020, in Bath, Somerset, England. After months of speculation, they introduced their baby to the public on January 5, 2021, through a heartfelt vlog titled “Hey, Jude.”

Get practical tips for achieving co-parenting goals here.

Hanna is a News Desk Writer at Smart Parenting, covering parenting, health, culture, and more. Off the clock, she’s likely people-watching at a café or park, matcha latte in hand.