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Parent Rep Gig

During my grade school to high school days, seeing a parent in school means that his/her daughter is probably in some kind of trouble. I only felt the presence of the Parent Officers during the preparation for Prom and Grad Ball.

So, it was to my amazement to see how active the Parents Representatives in my son’s school was. They are in-charge of a lot of school activities, especially the Family Day.

At last year’s Family Day!

Ang bongga ‘di ba.

That’s why as a current Parent Rep, I feel a little bit pressured to stage a Family Day like this.

So, if you’ve received a sponsorship letter from me, please reply positively. HAHAHA. Kidding. Or not. We really need help.

As a former teacher, I appreciate how the school stresses the importance of home-school partnership. And through Viber, the parents support and give tips to each other. It’s important that we also form a relationship because our sons will be together until Grade 12!

It’s just a little overwhelming to be handling a big of a job, after not working for almost 6 years. I’ve been bombarding the Parent Reps’ group with calendars, to-do lists and presentations. Thank you Google apps for making it easier! I like this kind of busy because I know that it’s also for Z.

Hopefully, this year’s Family Day, of which I’m part of the planning committee, makes a successful and fun event!

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Committing to Focus on What Matters

After the birth of Y, I got overwhelmed with all the tasks I needed to accomplish. Add to that the insecurities I felt because a lot of people were commenting on how big I got. I was awashed with a flurry of negative emotions: sad, incomplete, lost. And it was hard to accept because I know that I should’ve been stronger and more attuned to my feelings.

Then I attended the Mindful Mom Re-Treat and that’s when it hit me: I wasn’t loving myself enough that I feel drained. Because you cannot give what you don’t have, you’ve got to love yourself in order to give love to the people around you! It was reiterated during the half day session that self-love is not selfish. It should be a vital part of who you are. Especially moms who goes head to head on a lot of challenges daily.

Yes, I kinda lost myself for a while. But, I’m slowly getting it back.

Just recently, I attended a small group session discussing points in Coach Pia’s book: Focus on What Matters. In the book, she developed The Clarity Framework, which helps individuals decide on what really matters in their lives. I’m still in the process of understanding it, but here are three things I’m committing in order to focus on what matters to me:

  1. Have a total mastery of investment in my Self.

I need to treat myself well, so that anything hurled at me, whether it be how my body looks or how I raise my kids will not affect me. I’ll be living according to my values and nothing can faze me. Having time for myself should be a non-negotiable! Be it my Pilates class, a blogging workshop, breakfast with friends or a moment of solitude in the bathroom – I need to put myself in the priority list. Which is why I like Mommy Mundo’s 24/7 Planner because it has a space for MOM and a separate space for the kids, giving the thought that yeah, there should be activities you should be doing for YOU.

2. Never react in fear or pride.

We tend to react instantaneously and most often than not, these reactions stem from fear or pride. But as a mom, I should be wary that my emotions, words and actions deliberately affect my kids. So, it wouldn’t hurt to calm down, give myself a few minutes (or days!) to react. For example, my child tripped. If I’m reacting with fear, I’ll probably go “OH NOOO! Let’s go to the hospital!!!”. If I’m reacting with pride, I’ll go with the lines of “There. You see. You’re being stubborn, that’s why you tripped.” So, what does this do to your child?! He will not have time to process what has happened and immediately feel a lot worse. I don’t want to be the OA mom I was once. My kids deserve the best version of me, not someone paralyzed by fear and pride.

3. Forgive myself.

There’s always a room for improvement and lessons to be learned in every tribulation. I need not wallow in pity as it will affect our whole family.

With these new realizations, I decided to rebrand my blog (and life for that matter!). I will now be focusing on rediscovering myself through motherhood. There will still be posts about my kids and products related to them but may be in a different perspective. I hope you’ll join me in this new journey.

Ready?! I know I am 🙂

 

 

 

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PayMaya for Parents

Press Release

Millennials are known to do things differently, including parenting. With a number of them now experiencing parenthood, the generation of digital natives is maximizing technology to raise their children the right way, and to manage their household efficiently.

PayMaya, the country’s pioneer and leader in digital financial services and mobile money, underscores how basic household transactions can be made hassle-free and more secure through an e-wallet. Designed for the underserved to have a safe and accessible means to pay online, PayMaya extends its services to millennial parents in search for a better way to pay bills, send and receive money, and more.

“As a generation that grew up surrounded by technology, millennials expect the same level of convenience in paying bills, sending money, and shopping online. PayMaya evolves with its market by empowering millennial parents with the financial services they need, in the most secure, user-friendly, and convenient way possible,” said PayMaya Philippines COO Paolo Azzola.

The Modern Household’s Partner for Payments

With PayMaya, consumers can pay utility bills in-app, anytime and anywhere. They can give their kids allowance or emergency money without leaving the office or while on-the-go. Parents can also pay the family driver or give the household help a grocery budget with just a few taps on their smartphone.

To help account holders keep track of their expenses, as well as the expenses of PayMaya cards linked to their account, a real-time SMS notification is sent for every transaction. A transaction record is also automatically updated in the app.

For parents who are also ‘digipreneurs’, PayMaya can be used to pay for webhosting and sponsored posts on social media. They can also rely on PayMaya to pay suppliers and receive payments from customers. For freelancers who receive fees from clients overseas, PayMaya can be linked to a global payment platform like PayPal to withdraw their earnings. Money transferred to their PayMaya wallet can be immediately used to transact online, pay bills, or withdrawn as cash in any Bancnet ATM.

PayMaya can be used to pay anywhere Visa or Mastercard is accepted, including seat sales, paid mobile apps, and on-demand services such as Uber, Netflix, and Spotify. Users can also save on mobile and data load in all networks with all bundles and offers at 5% off in the PayMaya app.

“We all know that parenting is not an easy feat. At PayMaya, we want to help parents manage their finances in a more efficient way through digital solutions. We work hard to lighten the load of our customers so they can have more time, energy, and resources for their loved ones and for their personal fulfillment,” said Sharon Kayanan, Marketing and Brand Head at PayMaya Philippines.

“PayMaya is my reliable partner in paying bills. It saves me from the stress of commuting and waiting in line just to settle my utility and phone bills. Without a doubt, PayMaya helps me be more productive as a mom and blogger,” shared Ava Te-Zabat, millennial parent and founder of the blog ‘Artsy Fartsy Ava’.

Wiji Lacsamana, a tattoo artist, illustrator, natural perfumer, and millennial mom also shared, “Freelancing is more efficient now with PayMaya. It allows me to pay and get paid instantly without the need to carry cash, which I find inconvenient and unsafe. After receiving my payment from clients, I can immediately use PayMaya to promote my business through social media ads. No need to leave my studio just to withdraw money or make payments.”

What is PayMaya?

PayMaya is a free and secure app that gives users a reloadable mobile wallet, which allows them to send and receive money, pay their bills, and shop anywhere online even without having a credit card. Users simply have to download the PayMaya app, register, load up in over 15,000 touch points nationwide. Smart, TNT, and Sun Cellular subscribers will receive a virtual Mastercard upon registration to PayMaya, while Globe subscribers will receive a virtual Visa card.

Users may also opt to have a PayMaya Visa physical card or Smart MasterCard, which can be linked to their mobile wallet. PayMaya physical cards can be used to pay in groceries, bookstores, malls, or any store that accepts card payments. It can be ordered online at paymaya.com/shop, free of delivery charge nationwide.

PayMaya reloading stations include SM Business Centers, Robinsons Department Stores, 711 with Cliqq Kiosks, Petron stations along NLEX, Ministop outlets with Touchpay Kiosks, UnionBank ATMs, Shopwise, Wellcome, 2Go outlets, Smart Padala centers, Palawan Pawnshop branches, and online banking via BDO.

For more information, visit paymaya.com. Join the conversation online by tagging us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @PayMayaOfficial. Get support at @PayMayaCares on Facebook.