Isabelle Daza Is In Awe Of How Baltie Expresses His Feelings, Absorbs Info Like A Sponge

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Isabelle Daza admits to being overwhelmed having her and her husband Adrian Semblat's first child, Baltie, who's now 4 years old.

"Because you don’t really know what you don’t know," the TV host-turned-mompreneur said during the online event for the milk brand that she and her son endorse.

"So when you have your first child, you don’t realize you’ll have sleepless nights. Your time is not your own. Your body obviously physically changes. Your focus shifts."

"When I had Valentin," she added, referring to their second child who recently turned 1 year old, "it was not the same thing because Baltie was already a toddler. So I had to split up my time. At night, I’d have to feed him. In the morning, I had to get Baltie ready to get to school...It’s a balancing act."

Learning from experts, other moms

Having a degree in Early Childhood Education, which the mom of two boys earned from the De La Salle University, helps her a lot in navigating parenthood. But she pointed out that she does a lot of research and consultation with experts, such as her children's pediatricians.

Isabelle also gave credit to her "momshie group," whose members include her cousin and fellow product endorser Georgina Wilson, nicknamed George. Here's a sample of what she shares in the group: "Oh, Baltie did this today. How can I kinda manage without necessarily punish him. Because I don’t necessarily believe in punishment."

The "Sexytime" podcast host pointed out, "I think the most important thing is talking to an expert, also adjusting based on the situation. Most importantly, I always talk to George, [telling her] 'This is what happened today, what do you think?'"

Acknowledging awesomeness

As Isabelle shared a couple of anecdotes about Baltie, she couldn't help being awed by her son and the developmental processes in children. She went on telling how Baltie admonished her mother Gloria Diaz into following the doctor's orders.

It turned out that Baltie picked up key points from Isabelle and her sister Ava Daza's conversation with the doctor treating Gloria's medical condition. Gloria, who won Miss Universe in 1969 before becoming a well-regarded actress, is not supposed to have oily and oily food in her diet.

So when Gloria asked for olive oil as they were all having a meal together, she was told by her apo, using a term of endearment: "Momshie, you’re not allowed oil, the doctor said."

Isabelle then said during the online event, "We were all stunned. Children are really sponges."

She shared another story that happened while she and her husband Adrian were in the car with Baltie. Adrian asked Baltie, "Why weren’t you listening to the teacher?" Then Baltie replied, "The teacher kept telling me to sit down. I didn’t want to sit down." So Adrian reasoned, "Maybe she said that because you weren’t listening to her." Baltie explained, "But Papa, I can’t help it sometimes."

Isabelle talked about her realization during the online event: "Oo nga naman. Sometimes children can’t help it. They have to move around. We can’t expect them to sit for 30 minutes without moving. We’re amazed at how he’s able to communicate his feelings, expressing his feelings."

Parenting tips

Isabelle shared some of her ways in raising a preschooler like Baltie to help him reach his full potential.

Acquire time management skills

"Your time is not yours," Isabelle said, adding that she and her family stayed some time in Hong Kong for Adrian's work. "Now I’m working here in the Philippines, so I need to balance spending time with my kids, giving them the right activities."

Keeping a journal with activities

The journal will help keep track of the activities you give to your children and let you know their progress.

Stick to age-appropriate activities

Isabelle proudly said that before turning 4, Baltie could already do a 100 to 200-piece puzzle. But when she and her husband gave their son a 350-piece puzzle, Baltie felt discouraged because it was not yet appropriate for his age.

She explained that "giving the right age-appropriate activity" to children and "knowing what they’re able to do" help them gain confidence to move a step ahead.

Try something new and have fun

Isabelle reminded her fellow moms: "If you’re too focused on them being advanced, and stuff like that, it somehow takes away the fun from them."

Read here on the developmental milestones for preschoolers.