This month’s Meet a World Mom features a treasured member of our senior editing team, who celebrates a very special birthday today. Get to know all about Tes Silverman, how she came to World Moms Network and what she does outside of her role with us. Happy Birthday Tes!!

WMN: What country do you live in?

Tes: I live in the USA.

What country are you from?

I was born in Manila, Philippines but have lived in the United States since I was 10 years old.

What language(s) do you speak?

My primary language is English but I also know some conversational French and Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines.

How many children do you have and what are their ages?

I have one daughter, Shaina, who is 22 years old. She is currently doing a post-baccalaureate on her way to medical school.

How did you connect with World Moms Network?

I was attending Moms+Social Summit and started a conversation with then Managing Editor, Elizabeth Atalay. I had my own blog but I wanted to connect with other women through my blog. Back then, they weren’t accepting new writers from the United States, but I was really interested in getting involved with World Moms Network. After talking with Elizabeth, I started submitting a post to World Moms Network and the rest is history.

How long have you been a part of World Moms Network?

I have been lucky enough to be part of World Moms Network for 5 years!

How do you spend your days? (work, life, etc.) 

I live in Virginia Beach, VA and spend most of my days looking for ideas to write about for World Moms Network, traveling pre-Covid with my husband for his speaking engagements and taking care of our 4 year old lab mix and 3 year old pitbull when we are home.

What are the top 5 places on your travel wish list?

I love to travel and have traveled to quite a few countries like France, Spain, Iceland, Israel, Canada, Thailand, Luxembourg and Belgium.  If and when everything starts opening up, my travel wish list consists of: Portugal, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Greece and Turkey. 

What is your best motherhood advice?

The best motherhood advice I can give is to make sure to take care of yourself. The example that I still remember dates back to when my husband and I brought our daughter home for the first time at my in-laws’ home. We were staying with them because I had a difficult pregnancy(I was on bedrest for 4 months) and since they were both medically experienced, it was advised that we stay with them until I gave birth to Shaina. Our first night with our daughter consisted of lots of her crying, unable to comfort her, until my mother-in-law took her from us for the rest of the night so we could sleep. Her words were, “I’ve got her, get some rest and I’ll see you in the morning.” I didn’t realize until much later how much that one gesture would impact the way I took care of my daughter. Caring for your child is important, but caring for yourself is just as crucial.

What is one random thing that most people would be surprised to know about you?

I am a big foodie and love to look for great places to eat whenever I travel. 

How did you get through quarantine/lockdown (2020/21)?

I started a podcast titled r(E)volutionary Woman in November 2019 as a result of wanting to connect with other women from different countries. It was my way of creating deeper conversations with women about what’s going on in their lives and what they’re doing for their communities.

I connected with family and friends via Zoom calls. I went to a few family birthday parties via Zoom which was chaotic but fun.

What’s your favorite social media platform, if any?

Facebook, because it has made it easy for me to connect with family, friends and possible guests for my podcast.

What brings you joy?

I love going for high tea, a walk on the beach, road trips with my husband and playing with our dogs, Dobby and Miso.

What UN sustainable development goal are you most passionate about?

I am very passionate about SDG #5 – Gender Equality. I believe that educating girls, having  their voices heard and advocating for their rights are just some ways to achieve this goal. There is so much work to do to get there but I am hopeful that we can achieve this if we keep using our voices and speak out against any inequality.