This week’s Xander Mom is Julie. She took some time out to share some awesome mom/ blogger knowledge and tips with us.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m Mom to three of the best kids in Cape Town – Ilan (5), Kira (2.5) and Judah (2). I hooked myself a surfer husband from Durban and managed to convince him to make the move to the cold waters of Cape Town. I am a Physio turned Event Manager and my work allows me to spend afternoons chasing after my kids.
Tell us about your blog.
My blog, Heart Mama Blog, is about the adventure of parenting and the joys of adoption in South Africa. My desire is for adoption to be seen as a real option for couples who are considering starting or growing their family and that deciding to adopt is something that we can all celebrate in the same way that one celebrates a pregnancy announcement.
How do you feel about using technology as part of learning?
We are open to exposing our kids to technology but don’t feel stressed that they are ‘missing out’ because we don’t (yet) own a tablet. Ilan sometimes has tablet time when he’s visiting Granny and he picks things up quickly.
What are your kid’s favourite apps?
Ilan loves watching MJ music videos & Zulu dancing on YouTube and the kids love the interactive ‘Bible for Kids’ from YouVersion.
What do you love about South Africa and raising your children here?
We love the sunshine, our proximity to Granny & Grandpa and the vibrant diversity of South Africans. We wouldn’t swap this for anything.
Suppertime tips for parents with young children?
I know it’s good to give kids choices, but don’t give them a choice about whether or not to eat the food you have prepared. They can choose if they want their sausage cut into big pieces or small pieces. This is a choice. They can choose if they want tomato sauce or not but they can’t say they don’t want what has been prepared for supper. We’re old school like that but it’s worked in our favour and we have three kids who eat anything and almost everything.
TV “Yes” or “No”?
Yes, in moderation. They each have their favourite show – Barney, Angelina Ballerina and Kung Fu Panda.
What is in the lunchbox?
My kids eat a cooked lunch at school every day, lucky me!
How do you balance it all – in one sentence?
I’m learning to manage my expectations – of life, work and relationships. Being a Mom to young children is a short season and there is always time to pick up on your career later and real friendships are forgiving.
Do you children do chores at home, if so what and how do you manage it?
Chores for our 5 year old are still a bit of a novelty because he is ‘big’ enough to help. Long may this last! And we’re lucky because Kira likes to clean – give her a sponge or a wet wipe and she’s happy.
What is your favourite holiday plans/ activities with kids?
We haven’t holidayed as a family of five yet, but we’re excited to try camping at some point. Until then staycations in Cape Town are always a win as we’re really spoilt for choice when it comes to family adventure options – some (free) favourites include beach outings, Saturday mornings at the Book Lounge, bird and reptile shows at Cape Union Mart and exploring the Liesbeek River Park. Oh, and we spend a fair amount of time at the gym – the kids LOVE Club V.
Check out Julie’s blog here and catch up with her and her lovely family on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.