Dingdong on parenting: Don’t rely too much on technology

Dantes (foreground, right) with wife Marian Rivera and kids Sixto and Zia.

The last time we talked to Dingdong Dantes, we told him that he and his wife Marian Rivera should fill this world with more beautiful kids, like daughter Zia and son Sixto. We were just kidding of course.

What isn’t laughing matter, however, is how Dong and Marian are raising their gorgeous children the best way they know how to. When we asked the actor how he manages to keep Zia and Sixto entertained during the long lockdown, he said with a proud smile, “Well, thank God for the mother (laughs)! My wife is very good where parenting skills and innovation are concerned—I’ll give that to her. Napakahusay n’ya sa bagay na ‘yan.

“I admit, keeping this up remains a dilemma until now because they’re still not in grade school (Zia only turned 6 on Nov. 23, while Sixto turned 2 last April 16). But it’s valuable for them to be able to interact with other kids.“As parents, Marian and I don’t want to solely rely on just technology when it comes to raising kids because human interaction is also important, especially in these times. So, that remains a challenge for us, because the kids also get tired of seeing only our faces—nagsasawa rin silang makipaglaro sa amin. And of course they also want playmates their age.”

50-50

“One of the things we’re waiting for is for the younger age groups to get vaccinated so that we parents can let our guard down a little bit. Because some kids have gone back to school,” he said.“But we feel 50-50 about this. Just imagine, it took us adults about a year before we could feel safe to go out again, thanks to our vaccine shots. Yet here we are letting our young children return to school unvaccinated. So, I hope that happens real soon.”

To keep Zia and Sixto productive, innovation is key, explained Dingdong: “This is where the parents’ innovation kicks in. To provide for them what isn’t given by society or external influences, you have to replicate at home the skills you want your children to develop.

“In our case, that’s honing their social skills, perhaps as a storyteller, since my wife and I are both actors. We can create scenarios that require creativity. At doon ako nagpapasalamat kay Marian, for thinking of ways to supplement what isn’t available.”