Jodi offers advice to struggling solo parents

MANILA, Philippines — Jodi Sta. Maria celebrated the recent Mother’s Day with solo parents, offering them some business ideas and giving them inspiration being a single parent herself.

The STAR caught up with ABS-CBN’s Sino Ang May Sala star during Araneta Center’s MOMentous: A Memorable Mother’s Day event at the Gateway Mall activity area where participants included members of the Federation of Solo Parents in Luzvimin, Inc. – United Solo Parents of the Philippines (FUSPP). They experienced games and received special treats like free skin analysis, foot and hand massage, hair styling and other gifts.

“It’s a working holiday for me and ang galing lang kasi the guests were mostly solo parents and we had a cooking demo for them. We’re hoping that in one way or another, what they learned this afternoon, they can make it a business. So, we taught them how to cook spicy empanada and brownies,” the 36-year-old actress said of the MOMentous event.

“I do cook, mga lutong bahay, especially when I have time. Me and my son, whenever we travel, it cannot be without attending a cooking class because he loves to cook also,” added Jodi who later that day left for Taiwan with her son Thirdy, and their itinerary did include a culinary session on how to make xiao long bao or soup dumplings.

Apart from their family trips, she also finds joy in the little things they do together. “I think the hugs and kisses that we get from our children, that’s one. And if you see them growing up to be good people, may takot sa Diyos, yun yung mga joys and rewards of motherhood. And it’s fulfilling, you know. It’s actually a privilege that God has entrusted you with this human being, another life for you to take care of, to experience life with, it’s so meaningful.”

It’s hard to believe that Jodi, who started in showbiz as a 15-year-old teenager is now a mom to a 14-year-old teenager. When asked about what she has been telling Thirdy about the teen life, girls and crushes, she said, “Parang wala pa siya dun (crushes). That’s what I know so far, malay ko ba (laughs) but I know naman my son and he’s very open to me. He’s very focused on sports and academics, parang wala pa siyang mga crushes, well he had a crush when he was in Grade 3, sorry babe (laughs).”

She continued, “There’s nothing wrong with having crushes, kasi di ba, if you find somebody beautiful, if you appreciate another being’s beauty, I don’t think anything is wrong with that. But, of course, as a mom, what I always tell my anak about girls is that I hope and I pray, he sees them how God sees them, that they’re also fearfully and wonderfully made. And to treat them properly, with respect and with love.”

From the looks of it, Jodi has been “wonderfully” raising Thirdy. Plus, with how she’s handling herself like continuously educating herself (she’s expected to graduate next year with a Psychology degree and with honors), how she’s living her life and career, not to mention unabashedly sharing encouraging thoughts and life’s lessons through her social media platforms, no wonder she’s being viewed as a role-model mom and woman. Jodi has been approached by a top publishing company to turn her musings into a book and though she claims that she doesn’t have the “confidence” to pen one, that’s something Jodi can very well consider and explore in the future.

Meanwhile, The STAR asked her for some advice to struggling solo parents. Jodi said, “Just take it easy. I know it’s not easy. But we have to breathe, we have to take it easy and I know that the Lord has plans and purposes for our lives as single parents. They need not have to worry, even if it’s hard not to worry, but at the end of the day, before our children were our children, they were His children first. So, if the Lord entrusted them to us, it means He sees us fit to raise these children and they are not parenting their children alone because God is their parent.”

Jodi also took the opportunity to thank and pay tribute to her own mom. “(I’m thankful to her for) so many things — for being patient with me, for guiding me, for always supporting me, for calling me out when I’m wrong, for the discipline, for everything. Alam ko na hindi rin naging madali for her to raise me na sobrang hard-headed, especially when I was a teenager, but I’m glad that very strong si Mama and I thank the Lord for her life.”