Being a mom is tough. From doing all the household chores, assisting the family members with their daily needs, attending school activities, and maybe even toiling in a painstaking job, it’s definitely an imposing, challenging grind each day.
However, for stepmothers, just like Andeng (Bea Alonzo) on A Love To Last, stepping into an already closely knit family with their ex-matriarch still around is a greater uphill climb. Let’s look at how Andeng bridged that gap and overcame challenges since taking the role after tying the knot with the love of her life, Anton (Ian Veneracion).
Persistently proving herself
Initially, the older kids Chloe (Julia Barretto) and Lucas (JK Labajo) weren’t in favor of their dad’s new love. Chloe worried lest he might end up getting brokenhearted again after his failed marriage with their mom Grace (Iza Calzado). On the other hand, being a certified Mama’s Boy, Lucas constantly hoped that his real mom would come back.
Despite these hurdles that welcomed her, Andeng constantly proved that she is no enemy and that she actually expresses genuine love for her stepchildren.
Not only would she try to prove her worth to the kids but also to a staff of household helpers, led by the longtime governess Yaya Diding (Lui Manansala), who are all loyal to the former “woman of the house.” But eventually, it would take character and grit to make them recognize and respect her as a new boss.
Supporting them all the way
Age doesn’t matter with love, but this seems to change when it comes to raising the kids, especially adolescents. Due to a “generation gap,” the newlyweds often argue regarding Chloe, Lucas, and Kitty (Hanna Vito). Andeng is more lenient and “chill”, saying that they should let them enjoy their youth, while Anton is the protective and disciplinarian one. Thus, she supported Chloe in accepting suitors and having a secret affair with Tupe (Ronnie Alonte), which made him really infuriated. Andeng also appreciated Lucas’s love for music that eventually rubbed off on Anton.
Harnessing rapport towards the ex
Another challenging measure she had to do was to harness rapport towards their biological mom Grace by staying unruffled even though they often go into heated confrontations. Her reappearance in the kids’ lives hurts her, but she chose to dismiss it for their sake. Andeng still reached out and tried to be nice to her despite Grace’s vicious schemes against her.
Juggling her duties at work and at home
Despite her busy schedule, she is always there for her stepchildren and reminds her husband to do the same too. Andeng sees to it that family time is fun filled with everyone there to enjoy it. She is a responsible and caring homemaker, who’ll always attend to her stepchildren’s needs whatever they are, including preparing their baon each morning, even if she has other pressing concerns at work.
Handling personal issues
Andeng wants her stepchildren to be open to her about any personal issue or problem that may arise. This is because she had been such to her own parents and wants to harbor that helpful trait with her new family. But oftentimes, she gets misunderstood, which pains her so much.
She would always look forward to endearing, heart-to-heart talk with the kids, and wants them to be comfortable with her as she expresses support for them.
It’s indeed surprising how from being a full-pledged career woman, not to mention single, Andeng was able to drastically adjust in becoming a wife and a stepmother.
Don’t miss the final episodes of A Love To Last this week to see if Anton and Andeng are able to overcome the challenge they are facing now.