Tell us about yourself?
I was born in Swaziland and moved to South Africa when I was 19 years old to study Social Anthropology and Politics at UCT. After a decade at university, I decided I loved it here too much to ever go back. I got married to my husband Gerard in 2012 and we had our son Oden in September 2015. I’m a qualified Community Development Practitioner and have a Master’s degree in Social Development but stopped working full-time in order to have my son and start my freelance writing career. I started my blog to document my life as a work from home mom!
Tell us about your blog?
My blog, Tyranny of Pink, is about living authentically and being true to who you are. I think it can be so hard to just be yourself in a world that puts so much pressure on you to fit in. I write about doing what really makes you happy. People say my blog is inspirational but I just write so that other women know that they aren’t alone, that being a bit of a rebel isn’t a bad thing. I write my blog in the hopes that just one person will be empowered to say “this is me.”
How do you feel about using technology as part of learning?
We live in a modern world and anyone who doesn’t understand technology is going to be left behind. It’s important for kids to still play and be children but I also think it’s really important to use technology as a learning tool.
What are your kid’s favourite apps?
My child, who is only two and a half loves anything that involves puzzles. Puzzle games and apps that involve tasks that need to be completed to advance to the next stage are his go to choice.
What do you love about South Africa and raising your children here?
I loved South Africa so much that I never went back home. It’s not the place I was born but the place I chose to call home. We are moving to New Zealand soon as my husband is going to do his PhD there and I’m going to miss the diversity of South Africa. I’m going to miss that no matter where you are, there are people speaking different languages and the world is such a bright and interesting place. I’m also going to really miss seeing Table Mountain every day. Whenever we see a mountain anywhere my child proudly points at it and says “there’s Table Mountain” and it’s sad to think we won’t see it every day anymore.
TV “Yes” or “No”?
I think everything in moderation. We watch a lot of series in our house and we let our child watch cartoons but he also watches a lot of nature documentaries. Balance is key!
What is in the lunchbox?
Luckily the school our son goes to includes lunch and all snacks so I don’t have the stress of trying to be creative with a packed lunch just yet.
How do you balance it all – in one sentence?
I don’t think anyone does to be honest. I think we all just do the best we can.
Do your children do chores at home, if so what and how do you manage it?
Yes absolutely. Oden is responsible for picking up his own toys and tidying up his room and he does it merrily while singing “tidy up time” – I think he learnt that song at school but it works for me! He never complains about doing it. Sometimes he helps me make his bed too, it’s all a fun game for him.
What is your favourite holiday plans/ activities with kids?
My child loves being outdoors so we just try to spend as much time outside as possible during the holidays. We love going to the park and walking around while he rides his bike. We spend a lot of the holidays baking cupcakes too and getting messy in the kitchen. I think messy play is so important for development so I let him get as involved as he can at this age.
Take a look at Jonelle’s blog here and catch up with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
