MANILA – “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

Former ABS-CBN reporter Niña Corpuz gave this reminder to parents, noting how social media has magnified the different pressures they face every day.

“You know, a lot of moms like me, we tend to be hard on ourselves because of all the pressure around us, especially with social media and all that,” Corpuz told ABS-CBN News before giving birth to her third child.

“There is no such thing as a perfect parent,” she continued. “Just relax and do your best. You have to be informed but if you make a mistake, it’s okay. Minsan, we blame ourselves too much.”

Unlike 10 or 20 years ago, today’s parents live in a world of updates and uploads on Facebook or Instagram.

Some of them only share posts with family and close friends, while others have a larger audience, even gaining fame and big money from their lives as parents.

While she has nothing against parents who keep posting about their kids on social media, Corpuz said they should be doing this only because they want to, and not to conform to expectations.

She also advised parents to not share sensitive details about their children online. “Dapat ingat din tayo because we have to protect our kids,” she added.

Corpuz is the author of the book “How to Raise a Superstar,” which features interviews with the mothers of celebrities Daniel Padilla, Kathryn Bernardo, Toni and Alex Gonzaga, and Manny Pacquiao.

It will soon be formally launched by ABS-CBN Publishing.

“As a mom with very young kids, I attended all these workshops, but in real life it’s actually hard to apply all these. There are times that I’m so hard on myself, that I feel like I’m not a good parent,” Corpuz shared.

“But I learned from these moms. They do things out of their own instincts, they’re not being dictated by the things around them.”

BALANCE

Corpuz has left her job as a field reporter so she can spend more time with her children.

But she still works in the news industry as a host on radio DZMM.

Citing her experience, Corpuz said parents should still have their own dreams and goals outside of their family life.

“Don’t forget yourself. Just because you have children, it doesn’t mean you don’t have your own dreams anymore,” she said. “For example, there are a lot of mompreneurs who work from home and they still pursue their passion.”

She also stressed the importance of getting support not only from one’s spouse, but also from relatives and friends.

“Sabi nga nila, it takes a village. I wouldn’t have done it without the support of other parents, and my family and friends,” she said.

“Also, my husband, he was the one who was always pushing me. Importante ang suporta ng husband,” she ended.