LJ Reyes on being a tough single mom

MANILA, Philippines - LJ Reyes has admitted that she finds it hard to balance work and being a mom to a toddler, four-year-old Aki.

LJ talked about her experience being a single mother at the age of 26 during the pocket press conference for Perry P Lansigan artists. She was with her son during the interview because they did not have a nanny that day.

As she entertained interviews with the members of the media, she's also watching over her son who was running around the venue.

“Mahirap, nahahati ang atensyon ko!” she said, laughing in an interview with philstar.com.

She then shared how she disciplines her son.

“Kapag maraming tao, ayaw ko namang pinapahiya siya,” she said. “So what I do kapag hindi siya nagli-listen, pupunta kami ng CR and doon mag-uusap. Doon ko siya kinakausap para kapag kinakausap ko siya 'yong full attention niya makukuha ko.”

She said she also spanks the boy only when needed.

"Mayro'n din kaming warning one, two, three” she relates. “Kapag umabot na siya sa warning number three, may isa na siyang palo sa hanger. Actually ayaw ko talaga i-spank siya, pero sa akin kasi masyado siyang komportable."

“Kasi mom and dad in one ako, e, so 'yong treatment ko sa kanya naghahalu-halo. Usually kapag mom ka ikaw mag-nurture, kapag dad ikaw mag-discipline. E, sa akin two in one so kung kailangan lang talaga, pero hindi necessary.”

Busy with her son and her work, LJ said she doesn't have time to go on dates although she finds some time to spend with her friends.

“Pero dating talaga, 'yong serious dating baka it's gonna be hard for me. So mahirap hatiin 'yong oras,” she said.

The Kapuso actress, however, said that she is not closing her doors.

“Siyempre 'yong very responsible, God-fearing, 'yong mapagmahal talaga, family oriented, gusto ko 'yong same values with me, gano'n,” she said.

“Pero hindi naman ako aarte, 'yong [lalaki] tinyaga talaga ako, aarte pa ba ako?” she concluded, laughing.