For Gladys Reyes, motherhood is about finding a balance

MANILA, Philippines - “Aquisha, you want to read that Cinderella and Snow White book muna?” asks Gladys Reyes-Sommereux between takes of a shoot. Her eldest ambles over, clutching an iPad. “I made you a digital carrot cake, Mommy. Want to eat it?” With her hair up in rollers and half-a-dozen questions to go, Gladys lovingly takes her son’s offer. “Of course, Christophe  thank you very much for the cake.”

Multitasking with patience born of half-a-decade of motherhood, Gladys looks every bit the hands-on mom. “That’ll be one hundred pesos!” retorts Christophe and the room breaks out in laughter.

Known by her alias Primera Kontrabida, Gladys soared to success through the hit ’90s soap opera Mara Clara where she played opposite Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo as the scheming Clara.

In reality, lively Gladys is known to her buddies as “Chic-chic” and to her kids as both a best friend and disciplinarian.

In most cases, moms become the family disciplinarians. “Take my husband Christopher,” explains Gladys. “Since lagi siyang out of the house working, the last thing he wants to do pag-uwi niya would be pagalitan ang mga bata. He looks forward to spending happy times with them. Syempre gusto niyang bumawi.

Most of the time, it’s up to us moms to enforce discipline and to look after the kids  sometimes bida, other times, kailangan rin maging kontrabida.”

For Gladys, effective parenting is all about finding balance.

“As a mom, you always have to strive to be a bida to your children  but you have to be firm . Too tight and they might fear you  which leads to them no longer confiding in you. At the same time you also have to play Kontrabida, hindi rin naman pwedeng maging ‘Yes Mom’ ka all the time,” Gladys shares.

Multiple times a minute, Gladys’ kids pop her a question, give her a hug or ask if they could play. Each time, she patiently acquiesces. “I have three wonderful kids. My eldest Christophe is in kindergarten and loves to read. He’s medyo quiet like his daddy, but as you can see,” gestures Gladys to her very own digital baker. “Super-hilig niyang magluto.”

Second child Aquisha is clearly the most active  dancing, running around, and chatting with everyone in the room. “This one is the most like me, so I call her ‘Mini-me’. Parang siya yung aming family entertainment system. When we have guests, Aquisha just loves to perform. She’s a natural actress, but she can be a bit naughty,” says Gladys with a gleam in her eye. As if on cue, the little one bursts into song from Dora the Explorer. Her youngest is Carlin-Grant  a happy, quiet baby with huge and inquisitive eyes.

As a parent, Gladys is particular about many things – especially what her kids watch and eat. “Para sa amin ni Christopher, hindi pwede ang pwede na. We both ensure that our kids watch wholesome shows. Pwede lang yung mga tipong Disney Channel or Nickelodeon, channels which promote strong positive values. Kasi at such young ages, kids are like sponges.”

Gladys’ stand is understandable, as she currently serves as a board member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

More importantly, Gladys is particular about proper nutrition. “When my children started on formula milk though, it was largely hit-and-miss.” Her eldest Christophe quickly lost interest in the smell and taste of currently-offered milk formulas. Ayaw talaga niya yung lasa, so he stopped drinking milk altogether. Within months, his weight dropped. Even his cheeks na round-na-round dati, naging tight. That’s when I realized the true value of milk  especially para sa mga bata.”

Gladys’s pediatrician immediately advised her to try other growing-up milk formulas. “We tried Grow and Christophe immediately loved it. He loved it so much nga,” remembers a beaming Gladys, “that he could finish five glasses of Grow a day together with a healthy diet. His cheeks are full and round again.”

 When at the grocery, Gladys meticulously checks the content of her purchases. “I also Google kasi a lot,” she shares, “at nabasa ko na yung palm oil sa gatas pala ay puwedeng maka-affect sa pag-absorb ng calcium para sa mga bata. Hindi pwedeng ipagsapalaran ang paglaki ng mga anak namin, so I now try to avoid infant formula milk with palm oil.”

 “With Grow, we are not only secured with 24 nutrients to support growth; it is also certified by Abbott Nutrition Research and Development that it does not use palm oil,” says Gladys.

Take it from this mom of three: “When you’re ready to shift to formula milk, hindi ka mahihirapan kasi masarap at kid-friendly ang Grow. Most importantly, nakakasiguro ka na wala itong palm oil. So kahit minsan kailangan nating maging kontrabida, pero bidang-bida tayo sa Grow.”