We’re doing a series of reviews on some of our favourite mommy bloggers and women who form part of our Xander Moms programme. This week we spoke to Elsabe Van Der Colff from the lovely little town of Montague in the Western Cape.
Tell us about yourself?
A mother of two, a wife of one and a steward of a million dreams. I love to sing, I love to write, I love to read and I love to dance. I love to run, I love to travel, I love to learn history and I love to ride… Bicycles, horses and fast cars. This is merely touching on at what the world has to offer… A path that started with infertility took me on a Natural Living journey, which took me on a crafty educational path with my twin toddlers and that is how KraftiMama came about.
Tell us about your blog?
KraftiMama is a blog that inspires moms to get creative with their kids. There are crafts, educational games, reviews, giveaways and sometimes the odd divine moment in life but mainly I focus on spending time with my twins which aligns so well with my love for education. Learning has become lots of fun in our house and I hope to keep it that way and share with you along the way.
How do you feel about using technology as part of learning?
I love technology… I am quite a gadgety person and though I can appreciate the smell and feel of a new book, I believe we live in a technological world and that it’s a good thing to use that super-power to our advantage. Tapping into the benefits of technology doesn’t mean children have to forget what books are or how to write with a pencil, it just means our angle in education has changed to incorporate technology into the raw ethnicity of pen and paper.
What are your kid’s favourite apps?
At the moment it’s just Xander apps all the way. They love the dressing games and learning how to draw the shapes and numbers.
What do you love about South Africa and raising your children here?
South Africa is my homeland so I feel absolutely blessed to be able to raise my children in the same valley that I grew up in. I place high value on ethics and find that we are still surrounded by people who share it with us, in spite of what is happening with South Africa at the moment. As a country we have always gotten through the hard times and that’s a good value to teach my children.
Suppertime tips for parents with young children?
Supper is the main meal of our day and I don’t ever cook the kids anything different from what I cook for us… the biggest tip I can give you is keep it natural and expose your baby to everything including curry, olives and all type of things kids don’t usually eat. My kids eat everything so I have no worries over suppertime, they just eat what we eat.
TV ‘Yes’ or ‘No’?
NO!!! Only if its raining and you’re done building puzzles, doing crafts, reading and dancing in the rain. Then… well yes, I’m ashamed to say. But know this… once you start there’s no turning back.
What is in the lunchbox?
Droewors, nuts, peanut butter sandwich, fruit, yoghurt, cheese, cucumber, carrots and once a week something sweet like a dried fruit roll.
How do you balance it all – In one sentence?
I do everything around them… that’s why I started doing crafts with kids blogging.
Do your children do chores at home, if so what and how do you manage it?
Yes, I bribe them with money. They have a chart with R2 coin blocks up to R10 for each week. When they do chores, they get a mark at a block. Chores include picking up toys mostly. When they’re done in the bath, when their room is very messy. I don’t bribe them all the time, most of the time they just help anyway but sometimes they need an incentive. This will not work forever but I’m riding this one while it’s there.
What is your favourite holiday plans/ activities with kids?
Going to a wildlife resort where everything is there at one place and you can do things with the kids or have sitters looking after them.
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