How Bianca Gonzalez empowers her daughters

Bianca Gonzalez-Intal is one of the celebrity moms Filipinos look up to when it comes to parenting. The host and author keeps it real on her social media platforms, sharing both the rewards and challenges of raising two daughters in modern times.

Her followers also adore seeing her unfiltered and candid stories on motherhood, among them, tending to her daughters' hair.

“Mommy's Salon is open. #mommydiaries,” she shared on September 2021, along with photos Lucia, 7, and Carmen, 4, in their freshly-cut hair.

Bianca Gonzalez-Intal with daughters Carmen and Lucia. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/COCOON STUDIO

Apparently, it was an activity that Gonzalez, in her childhood, also enjoyed sharing with her own mother.

“As a little girl, up until I was in high school, it was mostly my mom who cut my hair. From blunt and short apple cuts when I was younger to just a straight trim when I was older, it was my mom who did it all,” the multi-media personality shared with The Manila Times in an interview.

“And now, serendipitously, both my daughters want their hair cut by 'mommy only!' I invite them to go to the salon with me, but they prefer a haircut from me here at home,” she furthered.

Gonzales also shared that she has cut her eldest Lucia's hair more than six times already, while her youngest Carmen's only twice to date.

“I am not great at it, but I know the basics from watching my own hairstylist of 20 years Alex Carbonell. And so far, the kids love my haircuts for them,” the proud mommy noted.

But as much as she loves fixing their hair, she also lets them choose how they wear it, especially for her grade schooler, Lucia.

“Everyday for school, she decides what she will wear and how she will fix it. Her top options now are just hair down with a headband, or tied up with a ponytail holder, because she recently learned how to tie her hair on her own.”

Gonzalez, however, makes sure that whatever style they choose, their hair are strong and healthy. She does this by giving them age-appropriate products, mainly because studies show hair of kids up to age 12 are two-times thinner than adult hair.

“Lucia's shampoo has always been Johnson's Baby since Day 1. Literally! We started with the classic yellow shampoo when she was a newborn. When she was a toddler, we switched to the Shiny Drops Shampoo and have been using that ever since. Lucia's hair is naturally thick, and the Shiny Drops Shampoo has Argan Oil and Silk Proteins, so each strand really becomes much shinier, healthier, and stronger.

“Carmen's hair, meanwhile, is straight, but with a few waves, and is also thinner than Lucia's hair. But ever since we started using Strong and Healthy Shampoo, her hair has gotten much thicker. Plus, Carmen is often in braids and pigtails for school, so this variant is really perfect for her.”

In giving them proper care to grow stronger hair and the freedom to choose how they want to style it, Gonzalez hopes that these little things will add up to build their confidence even at a young age.

“I do know for a fact that Lucia already feels empowered by her hair, and so does Carmen, because we encourage them to choose how they want to fix their hair for the day.

“It may sound like a 'small' decision, but for them to feel that they are in charge of what to wear, how to fix their hair, even their baon snacks for the day — these are the daily choices that build their confidence in making decisions for themselves, for figuring out what it is that they want, and opening themselves up to trying new things,” Gonzalez ended.