Cherry Pie Picache and son Nio
(Third of a series)
Actress Cherry Pie Picache believes that it doesn’t make one less of a person—or a mother—if she tries to maintain an amicable relationship with her ex for the sake of their kids.
While Cherry Pie claimed to be raising a 15-year-old son, Nio, on her own, she also pointed out that his dad was “never an absentee father. He has always been part of his son’s life.”
“I’m thankful that we’ve come to this point in our relationship as parents to Nio—it wasn’t always like this. There are parents who separate and don’t end up as good friends. I’m glad that … we no longer feel hatred, but only respect each other,” Cherry Pie told the Inquirer. “We have learned to forgive and are now both committed to raising our son well.”
For Cherry Pie, a couple should “first exhaust all means to make a relationship work. A family that is intact is still the ideal one. It’s still good for children to see that, no matter how difficult the situation is, their parents are trying to make it work. Breaking up shouldn’t be the first option.”
However, Cherry Pie said a mother should “rethink her situation when it comes to extreme cases.”
She explained: “If you’re being abused physically, emotionally or mentally, then don’t be afraid to pack your bags and go.
“In the end, if your intentions are real and pure, God will provide. If you feel that a problem is insurmountable, and that you will not be able to overcome it, there will always be angels around to help you.”
Women have always been stronger than men in terms of handling pain, she pointed out: “As long as you are physically capable and you have the brains for it, you will be able to provide for your children one way or another. Just commit to that decision.”
Cherry Pie said being an actress made parenting “extra difficult” for her.” Mine is not an eight-to-five job. There are times when my work requires me to leave home for several days. Before I go, I would always have to be on top of everything—from what Nio will eat to his tennis training schedule, from his school activities to his homework.”
Cherry Pie is currently seen not just in one, but two ABS-CBN series: “Asintado” and “The Blood Sisters.”
She said, “My other concern is how to make sure my son is grounded. I don’t want him to think that because I’m an actress, I earn easy money. In being part of show biz, you get fringe benefits and people accommodate you.
“I tell him that this is not always the case. There will be people who will dislike you, who will say mean things about you. You will still have to work hard, and at the same time, maintain a good public image. It’s important that I keep it real for him.”
Disciplining a teenager also has its challenges, Cherry Pie observed. “If I want to have a talk with him, the timing has to be perfect. Otherwise, he will not open up. I also have to be the cool one, like a barkada,” she shared with the Inquirer.
“If I’m not in the mood or I’m too stressed out, I can’t just say, ‘Ikaw nga ang kumausap d’yan!’ to someone. I have to find time to communicate with him at a time that he feels like communicating. Such is the nature of teenagers!”
The actress said she would often emphasize to Nio “the value of discipline … I can be his friend, but when I start calling him ‘Antonio!,’ he knows I mean business. There were times when he would ask for something, but I don’t give in. He would pout and not talk to me for two days, but I’d still resist even though I miss him and want to spend time with him. It’s because I know he will learn from that experience. He has to appreciate what he has.”
“Lastly,” said Cherry Pie, “Nio knows that he will always get more points from me for being honest. If he does something wrong, of course I’d get angry, but I will always put a premium on the fact that he is honest enough to admit his mistake and own up to it.”
(NEXT: Candy Pangilinan)