Meet mom and photographer, Shante Hutton, who took some time out to share with us about her family, parenting and her thoughts on learning using technology.
Tell us about yourself?
I’m Shante Hutton, an overtly sarcastic British chick who now lives in Cape Town with my South African husband and probably the cutest little princess in the world (as her mother I’m totally bias). I’m currently trying to juggle being a fulltime mum to my active 10 month old Rosie and a business woman…some days I’m great at it, other days you’ll find me grasping a big glass of wine and rocking back and forth. I’m a photographer and communications maven by trade and I used to work in the wine industry before weeing on a stick.
Tell us about your blog
I’ve always been a lover of writing and I seem to find it so much easier to be completely and utterly (often to my detriment) honest when I write. My blog holds my happy moments and my sad ones; it offers real-life experiences, reviews and humor and can feature wine, food, pregnancy issues, marriage advice and funny baby moments – by being so personal, I’ve found that it helps me connect with my readers and I love that.
How do you feel about using technology as part of learning?
Of all the toys in my daughter’s possession, Mum’s laptop and phone are the two items she covets the most. The other day she managed to somehow get past my phone’s password (this is surely impossible right?) and took some great nostril selfies. It won’t be long before she’s totally tech-savvy and I hope to teach her to use tech for educational purposes. I don’t have any qualms with using it for learning, we’re in a digital age now.
What are your kids favourite apps?
At the moment we use food planning apps and a piano keyboard app which my daughter loves because of the sugary-sweet songs it plays.
What do you love about South Africa and raising your children here?
I love that there is so much freedom to express yourself and your creative needs in South Africa AND that community is such a big thing. I’ve been able to create my own job and business and through social media communities, have watched it grow. I know that as my daughter grows up, she’ll also be able to craft her own space in the world and be supported by like-minded people.
TV “Yes” or “No”?
Definitely. Rosie loves anything with music and even though her attention span lasts for about 5 minutes, that’s 5 minutes of work time. When she gets older, boundaries will be put in place *she says innocently, all too aware of the potential tantrums that come with restricting TV*
What is in the lunchbox?
We’re not quite there yet but for lunch, Rosie usually has leftovers and I have wine. Kidding. Sometimes.
How do you balance it all – in one sentence?
Sometimes you have to relinquish control over the smaller things in order to manage the bigger picture.
Do you children do chores at home, if so what and how do you manage it?
Rosie, despite being so young, is great at handing me things so she makes hanging up the washing a breeze. Seriously though, I’m looking forward to the day when I don’t have to keep putting toys away and washing bibs.
What is your favourite holiday plans/ activities with kids?
We’re at a very sensory age so anything that Rosie can touch or feel sparks excitement (playing with sugar-free jelly was a fun one…and all kinds of messy (Thanks Pinterest). She also loves other babies so playdates are a must and she gets the biggest kicks from seeing herself in the mirror and listening to music. As you can imagine, our house is one big loud party… where no one gets to go home and sleep.
Catch up with Shante on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
