Asia's Songbird tries not to be an overprotective mom

First-time mom Regine Velasquez instantly gushes when talks of her son Nate surfaces.

She admitted that she never imagined herself as a mom. However, now that she is, she feels extraordinarily blessed because this third member of their family is her biggest blessing, her inspiration and even her stress reliever.

In an interview with GMANetwork.com after a Sarap Diva taping, Regine expressed how she looks forward to going home after a long day at work because Nate’s welcome instantly relaxes her.

“Ang sarap sarap ng feeling na nilalambing ka. Kahit minsan maldito siya, pag nag-kiss siya, wala na (yung inis). Pagod ako ngayon pero pag uwi ko at nandun siya at inakap-akap ako, tanggal na yung pagod,” she said.

Nate is growing up a lot faster than she thought he would and Regine acknowledged that there are a lot of changes to anticipate. Thus, she and husband Ogie Alcasid are trying to keep up accordingly.

“'Yung age na ‘to, kailangan ko na siya bigyan ng boundaries, so [we learn to say] 'no', meron na kaming face the wall. Nag-i-introduce na kami [ng] ganyan, konti-konti,” the Songbird shared.

She’s glad that it’s also teaching his son to be more disciplined as he’s able to be sensitive when the situation calls for it. “Natatakot siya. Ayaw niya ng face the wall, so nakakatuwa. Minsan, pag nagiging brat siya, sasabihin ko ‘sige ka, ife-face the wall kita,’ tapos iiyak na siya, natatakot siya,” she added.

Part of Nate growing up is allowing him to be exposed to the world, which Regine admits to be difficult for her.

“Marami [akong] fears as a mom. You fear na masaktan… Pero parang I realized na hindi pwedeng overprotective ka din kasi mawawala 'yung sarili niyang diskarte so I let him play, I let him fall kasi dapat ma-experience niya 'yun eh,” Regine declared.

Although she admits that she wants to shelter him and become overprotective, she knows that this will not benefit her son in the long run.

“Pag magulang ka, hindi pwedeng ma-consume 'yung buong being mo ng fear, kasi ‘di na tatakbo 'yung life eh. So idadasal mo na lang talaga,” she disclosed.

Join Regine as she learns recipes and gets insights from her guests every Saturday on Sarap Diva.

-- Text by Meryl Ligunas, Photo by Bochic Estrada, GMANetwork.com