Judy Ann Santos wants her daughter to learn self-defense

January 3 ------ Actress Judy Ann Santos said her greatest fear as a mom is for something bad to happen to her three children, and she’s not physically present to protect them. As much as possible, Santos wants to be around during times when her kids—Yohan, Lucho, and Luna—experience their milestones. This is why she and husband, TV host Ryan Agoncillo, always make sure that at least one of them is present in all of the kids’ school activities and programs. “All we want is for them to finish school and become happy and settled with the life they choose for themselves,” Santos told reporters over lunch recently. “Anything can happen so, as a parent, you just want to be prepared for these situations. That’s why we always tell them to never start a fight. But if someone tries to hurt any of them unprovoked, then that’s a different story.” The actress is promoting her latest big-screen project, Chito Roño’s horror flick, “Espantaho,” which is an entry to the ongoing 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival.

This is also the reason she is trying to train her eldest, who is now in college, to become street smart. “I told her that she should know how to commute from school to the house, in case the driver will not be able to fetch her. So, she is now learning how to ride the bus, train, and even the tricycle. I also told her that it’s now her responsibility to clean her room and bring out her laundry because her yaya will not be doing these for her anymore,” Santos said of Yohan, who is now 20 and taking up a music production course at De La Salle University in Manila. Santos said that when Yohan takes a break from school, she will take up self-defense lessons, too. “Actually, all of us will. We should know how to protect ourselves and each other. Hindi ‘yong titili ka na lang, hoping that someone will come and help you. “Also, I tell Yohan that when she’s at a bar to never accept any bottle of drink that’s already been opened, or to never leave her drink on the table when she goes to the bathroom—or if she can’t bring it, she should just order a fresh one when she comes back. Sadly, the use of party drugs is prevalent today. We don’t know who to trust anymore,” the mom said.

The use of social media is also a great concern. Santos said, once Yohan decides to go share her life with the public through the different platforms available, she should also be prepared to handle bashers. “They are just out there, waiting for you to react. If you do, then they win. If you think you’re not ready for them, then don’t post anything personal,” Santos said, recalling her conversation with her daughter. Another fear is the idea of not being able to provide the best possible future for her children, she said. “I just want to see them blossom, become professionals in their chosen line of work. I want to see them enjoying life with their own family. I know I tend to look too far ahead, but it’s true that time flies so quickly. I don’t want to be unprepared emotionally when a guy proposes marriage to Yohan or when it’s finally time for Lucho to ask for a girl’s hand in marriage. No, no, no! Those are the scenes I imagine when I need to cry during dramatic scenes,” the actress said, laughing.

When she sat down with Lifestyle for a one-on-one interview, Santos revealed that she had more life lessons to share with Yohan. “She wants to eventually study abroad. I tell her that she will have no helper there so she will need to do things on her own. She will also have to get a part-time job because we will only pay for her tuition and not her house rent. She also has to learn how to differentiate her wants from her needs. What’s good about her is that she listens,” said Santos.

Source: inquirer.net