From ‘it girl’ to ‘momfluencer’

Georgina Wilson

As much as Georgina Wilson wants to keep her children’s lives private, sometimes, they do things that are simply too darn cute not to share with people online. And before she knows it, her posts have already gone viral.

In 2019, a wholesome video of her eldest child, Archie, crying and begging for his favorite adobo made the rounds on social media and got featured in various evening newscasts. “Adobo Boy,” her now 6-year-old son was called.

“I don’t think it’s something that a lot of moms face. I think he got really shy after seeing it. People on the streets started shouting at him and calling him ‘Adobo Boy.’ I don’t know what he thinks about going viral, but I think he got a bit shocked. Imagine being a little kid and everyone’s saying your name,” she told a group of reporters at the recent “Gifted Together” event hosted by the milk brand Promil.

Georgina has two other children with her businessman husband Arthur Burnand, Alfie, 3 and Charlotte, 1.

“I’m careful about what I put out online, but sometimes they’re just so cute that you want to post them. But I do try to keep things private and give them as normal a childhood as possible… But then they say cute stuff and they go viral. And you can’t do anything about it,” she said, laughing. “I love that video.”

Celebrity mom

Her being a celebrity isn’t really talked about at home. “It’s funny because even today, they were like, ‘Mama, why do you look like that?’ They’re still not used to seeing me all dolled up. They’re just used to seeing people saying hi to me. They think Filipinos know me, but they don’t know why,” she related.

Is she open to the idea of her kids entering show biz in the future? “I will be very open. Honestly, whatever they want to do, as long as they finish school. I had some of the best years of my life in school, so I want to make sure that they enjoy it, too. They can do it part-time naman,” pointed out the model-television personality, who served as a VJ for Channel V Philippines and as host-judge for “Asia’s Next Top Model.”

Georgina is part of a fashionable and trendsetting circle of friends that includes the likes of Anne Curtis, Solenn Heussaff and Belle Daza. People call them the “It Girls” of local show biz. Now they’re the “It Momshies,” she quipped.

“Our lives haven’t necessarily changed, more of evolved. We still do the same things, but there’s more on our plate now… It’s a whole new world, so [going through motherhood] with your friends is exciting. You have people to share the joys and trials with,” she said. “Every stage in life is fulfilling—just in different ways.”

Love for learning

Motherhood isn’t easy, Georgina admitted, but an “amazing adventure,” nonetheless. So in raising her children, she looks back at her own childhood and the many valuable lessons she has learned from her parents.

“The love for learning was something I got from them. My father was all about how fun it is to learn… I hope that’s something my kids get from me, too. Learning isn’t just something done in school; it happens in life and it’s continuous,” she said. “I hope to instill in them the value of hard work, which I believe they see in their parents. It’s an honor and responsibility to me as a ‘momfluencer.’ It’s no joke because it involves children…”

As a mother, Georgina believes in teaching children independence and giving them the chance to learn from their mistakes. “I want them to figure things out on their own. I’m not concerned about them making mistakes. It’s about what they do after. The more mistakes, the better especially now that no one’s watching,” she said.

On top of her family duties and show biz engagements, Georgina is busy running Sunnies Studios, a lifestyle brand she cofounded. Despite her busy schedule, she makes sure to leave some room for me-time.

“It’s all about efficient time management. I have changed so much in that regard. I now put a lot of value on people being on time and being at the place they say they’re going to be,” she said. “It’s all about setting your priorities and not losing who you are. Because you want to be an example to your children of what a well-balanced life is.” INQ