THEY?RE FIRST-TIME moms who?ve definitely not ?been there [or] done that.? But this has not kept them from setting high standards in raising their children.

Take actress Jennylyn Mercado, single parent to son Alex Jazz, who is convinced her status does not make her any less of a mother.

?I?ve learned to embrace being a single parent,? Jennylyn, 22, told Inquirer Entertainment. ?Being one doesn?t mean you can?t handle problems or that you?re hopeless. I just try to be the best mom I can be to my son.?

Alex Jazz, 1, is Jennylyn?s son with actor Patrick Garcia, 28. The two broke up in February 2008, even before their son was born. ?Of course, I can?t take over the role of a father,? Jennylyn added. ?What I try to do is give AJ all the love ? as in todo buhos. Then hopefully, he won?t feel he?s lacking.?

Singer-actress Vina Morales, mom to 1-year-old Ceana, couldn?t agree with Jennylyn more. ?Being without a partner is not a loss,? she pointed out. ?What?s important is that you?re able to take care of your child well.?

Ceana?s dad is Vina?s ex-boyfriend, Chinese businessman Cedric Lee. ?Each of us has problems to deal with,? said Vina, 34. ?It?s how we handle them that defines us as parents.?

Nikki Valdez, whose husband Chris Lina is based in Toronto, Canada, doesn?t mind raising Olivia Ysabelle, 1, all by herself.

?My husband is at work six times a week,? the 30-year-old actress said. ?So even when my daughter and I were still living in Canada, I was always alone with her. We didn?t have a yaya. I learned to manage my time. I did my chores while she slept.?

Voice is not all

Nikki added: ?The set-up we have right now may not be ideal for our daughter, but we?re just doing our best. Her father calls and sends text messages as often as he can. Every now and then, we communicate via Skype. It?s not enough that she hears her dad?s voice; it?s also important that she sees his face.?

Nikki said Chris flew to Manila in March for a week-long visit. ?When he arrived, parang nangingilala pa si Oy (Olivia Ysabelle?s nickname),? she recalled. ?She eventually got used to seeing her dad around. It was good that they had a lot of quality time during that visit.?

The actress admitted that offers for her to work here on TV and in the movies made her decide to come back. ?I was in Canada sometime in July last year when I got the offer to appear in ?In My Life,?? she related. ?When I accepted, ?di na tumitigil ang offers. It?s not like I chose work over family life. I already gave up my career when I went to Canada before.?

For singer-actress Jessa Zaragosa, show biz commitments are keeping her from having another child. Jessa, 31, and husband Dingdong Avanzado, 41, have a 6-year-old daughter named Jayda.

?We will work on having another child next year,? Jessa said. ?Right now, my recording contract with MCA Universal and my endorsement deals are keeping me busy.?

Makeup mommy

Jessa admitted she had a hard time adjusting when Jayda became a host of the weekly trivia show ?Kap?s Amazing Stories Kids Edition? early this year. ?Ang hirap pala,? she pointed out. ?I made sure I was with her during tapings. On top of that, I also had to work on my own TV show and participate in Dingdong?s political campaign,? she said.

?There was a point when I cried because of fatigue,? Jessa added. ?I?m so OC when it comes to Jayda. I want to do everything for her. I even want to personally apply her makeup.?

Drama actress Angelika dela Cruz, 28, is also proud of being a hands-on mom to 1-year-old Gabriel.

??Di pwedeng yaya lang. We don?t rely on the help so much,? she told Inquirer. ?My husband (businessman Orion Casareo) makes sure that, if I?m not available, he?s there to take care of Gabby. Sometimes, I take Gabby with me to work. We have this rule that one parent should be around to watch Gabby all the time.?

Jennylyn said she makes sure not to spoil AJ. ?Kahit maliit pa, dapat dinidisiplina na,? she pointed out. ?I explain to him why he?s not allowed to touch certain things in the house or play with them.?

Good job

?I hope to raise children who are obedient, charitable and compassionate,? said actress Dimples Romana, 25, mom to 6-year-old Christiana Amanda Lauren or Cal.

?Luckily, Cal is growing up polite and well-behaved,? said Dimples, who is in the cast of ?Agua Bendita,? on ABS-CBN. ?When we go out, I?m confident na di niya ako ipapahiya. Though she?s a little shy, looking at her makes me think that I?m doing a good job.?

Overrated

Dimples said there are no hard and fast rules about motherhood. ?I think parenting books are overrated,? she said. ?I used to buy them when I was younger. Later on, I realized that each child is different. I look up to my mom and my in-laws. They seemed to have done a pretty good job raising me and my husband Boyet.?

Dimples said she is careful not to smother her daughter, as her mom did her. ?I was very sheltered,? she recalled. ?I wasn?t allowed outside the house. When I do get the chance to step out, our neighbors would whisper about me ? I was as white as Snow White. Now I understand why my mom behaved the way she did. I had a sister who had leukemia. It explained why she was overly protective.?

Dimples said she hopes to get pregnant, preferably with twins, four years from now. ?Twins para isang operasyon na lang. I gave birth to Cal via C-section,? she explained. ?By then, Cal would be the big sister. Right now, I?m still enjoying her company. She?s very inquisitive and likes to explore.?

Fun weekends

Angelika?s Gabby prefers swimming to other physical activities. ?He spends weekends with cousins in Anilao, Batangas. Orion?s family is currently building a resort there,? she said. ?Gabby is a techie. While he sometimes plays with his toys, he prefers tinkering with gadgets ? my iPhone, the TV remote and even my laptop.?

AJ, meanwhile, likes playing with musical instruments, reported Mommy Jen. ?I just bought him a toy keyboard. He also likes banging on his drum set,? said the star of the TV adaptation of ?Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak? on GMA 7.

Most memorable

To celebrate Mother?s Day today ? Jen?s second since she had AJ ? the actress plans to simply have dinner with the family. ?I work on Sundays,? she said. ?With AJ, it?s Mother?s Day everyday, anyway.?

Last year?s Mom?s Day was the most memorable for Dimples. She recalled: ?Cal helped her dad cook a full-course meal for me. They?re so sweet. They didn?t let me out of the bedroom until everything was ready. You see, I bake a lot for them. They showed their appreciation by cooking something for me, too.?

Angelika, on the other hand, promised to cook for the whole family today. ?I?m still deciding what to serve them. Expectations are high because I?m currently enrolled in a culinary school,? the actress said.

Nikki said she has nothing more to wish for herself this year. ?My wish is actually for my mom and lola,? she said. ?I pray that they remain healthy so they can spend more quality time with their granddaughter and their future grand kids from my three other siblings.?

Vina, however, said her wish is for good health and a constantly positive outlook in life. ?I?m scared to get sick. I keep thinking, what will happen to Ceana if something happens to me? I just want to be strong for her, always.?

E-mail marinelcruz@gmail.com.