Making Connections That Matter: Riki Flo on Rediscovering Bonding Time at Home

     Many families are now looking forward to the start of the new year at home. Despite the hardships and challenges that the past months of quarantine have posed, there are still so many things that everyone can be thankful for, especially that staying safe at home has brought everyone closer together.

     When everybody welcomed the new decade full of hopes and excitement, no one could have predicted how a health crisis would put an indefinite pause on their plans and resolutions for the year. However, radio personality and wonder-mom Riki Flo felt blessed to have spent the time in quarantine with the company of her loving family. She says, “I realized that spending time at home with people you love the most is a luxury, and when life got too real, I was reminded of that. And though we may not have had as many adventures outside this year, we made many memories at home and that allowed us to become closer.” 

     When the news of the lockdown first broke in the country, Riki remembers how she prepared for the quarantine by purchasing art supplies for her children. A mother of two young and energetic kids, Calix and Dandy, she knew that the isolation would be a difficult period of adjustment for them and wanted to brighten things up.

     “Being isolated from the world is tough and if we were going to be holed up for a while, I wanted them to enjoy themselves at home. I bought different art supplies and creative materials in case they wanted to experiment and make crafts,” she said. 

     She also introduced her little ones to the world of gardening. Lately, their family has been nurturing a newfound love for plants, flowers, and even insects. This little hobby of theirs has also turned out to be a learning experience as they would be looking up the species and reading more about them on the internet. 

     Going online has not just been a source of the latest news, updates, and additional knowledge for Riki’s family. She goes as far as to say that the internet has made life in quarantine more bearable for her and her kids. 

     “With reliable connections from PLDT Fibr, we were able to keep in touch with our different family members and friends through video calls. We also enjoyed family movie nights by watching new and old films together, and we even fell in love with K-pop,” she expresses. It seems that through streaming music videos of Korean idols that Riki uncovered a special hidden talent of her children: dancing! 

     Riki also mentions how four-year-old Calix was able to continue with his kindergarten classes online seamlessly with help of PLDT. With PLDT’s new whole-home wifi mesh system, they have been able to enjoy consistent connectivity with no dead spots in the household. This has enabled them to discover new ways to work, learn, and play from every corner of the room, including the kids’ newly transformed study area. 

     “At first, it was difficult to get him to understand why everything had to be through a computer screen right now, but we have all adapted and our mornings are much smoother now,” she shares. “I’m also thankful because my husband and I are tag-team when it comes to Calix’s online classes. He prints the materials and I sit in and facilitate the actual class.” 

     One thing that Riki is grateful for this year is how she was able to understand her family more. She says, “As a mom, I can say that I saw and learned more about my kids, about their interests and their talents. I wouldn’t have been able to get closer to them if I wasn’t working from home.”

     She also adds, “It’s all about being patient with the kids and learning how to stretch things out. It’s very important that we can support and guide them as these experiences and memories are part of their childhood.” 

     This new year can be full of challenges, but it is also packed with hope and anticipation. With PLDT making sure that our connections are faster and more stable than ever, we can be excited to face the days to come.