Kristine Hermosa on Discipline: 'Husband and Wife Should Agree on How to Enforce It'

Even with four kids at different ages and stages, Kristine Hermosa-Sotto does not look rattled at all. The fresh-faced mama looked relaxed and happy at Kool Fever’s event yesterday, where she and her 1-year-old son, Vin, were launched as the brand’s endorsers.

However, the celebrity mom admits that motherhood still makes her nervous at times. Especially when her kids get sick, the mom of four can’t help but feel vulnerable.

“Sa totoo lang, it’s God that’s keeping me together,” she shares with SmartParenting.com.ph. Thankfully, with her years of experience raising multiple children, she can already rely on her mother’s instinct to “know what to do bago pa lumala.”

Her strong faith and teamwork with husband Oyo Sotto are also vital when it comes to handling the kids and the household. Though she has trusted yayas that help with the kids, Kristine is very hands-on. “Wala naman kaming maasahan [kundi] kami lang ni Oyo talaga,” she says.

Even when disciplining their kids—Kiel, 10, Ondrea, 6, Kaleb, 3, and Vin, 1—Kristine reiterates that husband and wife should be on the same page at all times. It just won’t work if one parent disciplines while the other lets the incident slide. She also says that disciplining the kids should start as early as possible, once they are able to express their emotions.

She says that whenever one of their children misbehaves, she and Oyo start with a warning, and will only use “the rod” if the kid still don't take heed after repeated reminders. 

Because their children are at different stages, you’d think it’ll be hard to manage their behavior, but fortunately, Kristine says they are blessed to have kids who have “very pleasing personalities,” which is why she can confidently say that she and Oyo don’t play favorites. “Wala kaming favoritism. Kung sino ang nangangailangan ng attention or ng oras at this very moment, binibigay namin,” she says.

Asked whether she lets her kids use gadgets like other moms do, Kristine says they have a strict “no gadgets rule.”

“But we do let them watch [videos] once in a while. Usually, Netflix, and kami ang pumipili what to watch,” she says. The kids are also not allowed to touch Oyo or Kristine’s phones, nor do they allow their yayas to lend their cellphones to the kids

She and Oyo already have a big, happy, family, but the mom of four is not closing her doors to having one more child. Especially because her only daughter, Ondrea, has been asking for a baby sister. “She’ll go, ‘Always na lang all boys, they’re so gulo!’” Kristine explains with a laugh.

“If not for her, ok na ako. But if it’s God’s will, sana girl nga.”