Meet another awesome Xander Mom, Amelia Meyer from the blog Suddenly A Mom. She talked to us about her gorgeous family and the joys and challenges of modern parenting in the digital age.
Tell us about yourself?
I’m a freelance writer, based along the gorgeous Garden Route. I do a lot of content writing and SEO; but also some creative projects, like editing fiction novels and writing coffee table books.
I’m mom to Katie (nine years old), who I met when she was five. Her mom had just passed away. Her dad and I weren’t dating for long before she started calling me mom and, since we got married (2.5 years ago), I’ve been the mom she knows. My husband is very supportive, and really tries hard to make both of us feel loved and happy in this different, but very special, family unit.
Tell us about your blog/ vlog?
When we first got married, I looked online for experiences of other moms that, while technically stepmoms, were doing all the work and feeling all of the emotions of a “real” mom. I’m still looking! So, I decided to blog my experiences on Suddenly A Mom, talk about my joys and challenges, and document the adventure.
I also wanted to have somewhere safe to keep all of her funny sayings. She keeps me laughing and, when I look back on some of the comments, I start giggling all over again.
How do you feel about using technology as part of learning?
I think it definitely has its place. We’ve downloaded quite a few reading apps onto her iPad, particularly when she was in grade 1. My daughter is also more technically minded, so she LOVES Mine Craft. At first, I was totally perturbed by how long she stared at the screen, so we’ve enforced some serious limits on that. But, she does so well, and I’ve seen a side to her that is so well developed in terms of 3-D planning and imagination.
We’ve also started downloading Afrikaans kiddies’ videos to help her to improve her Afrikaans. But, we’re definitely going to give the Xander apps a try. I love the format.
What are your kid’s favourite apps?
Mine Craft (I know, I failed as a literary-minded parent) and JW Library (where she learns lessons on manners, stealing, lying, protecting her body, and so on).
TV “Yes” or “No”?
Everything in me screams NO! We have disconnected our DSTV, so our TV is only for the occasional movie or Apple TV session. By occasional, I mean maybe once a month. We live in such a beautiful place; I always encourage a bored child to go outside and rollerblade or swim.
What is in the lunchbox?
A low-GI sandwich with peanut butter, an apple, and a bottle of water. When she gets home from school, we make eggs or warm up leftovers from the night before.
How do you balance it all – in one sentence?
I try to work in the mornings and dedicate my afternoons to her. While she’s busy with homework, I’ll do some work too, but my mentality has changed from “work mode” to “home mode’. Usually.
Do you children do chores at home, if so what and how do you manage it?
I’m not rigid about them, but she definitely gets asked to pack and unpack the dishwasher and to clean her Guinea pig’s cage. She also has to feed Cupcake (the Guinea pig), tidy her room, and set the table.
What is your favourite holiday plans/ activities with kids?
She and I both love animals, so we love visiting places like Radical Raptors, taking walks at Robberg, or petting the pigs at the local dairy. We don’t have a movie house in Knysna, so we also get really excited to make the road trip through to George for a movie.
Catch up with Amelia and her lovely family on her blog here and Facebook and Twitter.
