Meet our latest Xander Mom, Zayaan Schroeder from Cape Town. She took some time out of her very busy schedule to chat to us about her blog, her family and gave us some awesome tips for parents.
Tell us about yourself?
I’m a writer by trade and a geek by nature. From gaming to books to comics. Star Wars or Star Trek? Why choose? I’m a mother to a busy little boy and we have another little one on the way.
Tell us about your blog?
My blog is mostly a way to document what goes on in our crazy world instead of having a baby book to write everything down. I love connecting with both like minded and not so like minded moms because aside from support sometimes I get a comment that will make me think about things. Which is always a good thing. My blog is a bit like me, a hodgepodge of things. From documenting family life to things that I love.
How do you feel about using technology as part of learning?
There’s definitely a place for it. We live in a technologically driven world and to deny kids access to that is insane. That doesn’t mean they should have free range to the stuff but it’s great for teaching them different concepts and ideas.
What are your kids favourite apps?
Duplo Trains & Duplo Food, Sesame Street: Breathe, Think, Do, puzzle games and Xander shapes (specifically the matching card game).
What do you love about South Africa and raising your children here?
I love how beautiful this country is and the diversity that it boasts. I love the religious freedom that we have as Muslims here compared to anywhere else in the world. Is it perfect? Definitely not. But we take the bad with the good.
Suppertime tips for parents with young children?
We always try to eat as a family. Aside from spending the time together, my kid tends to eat better when we’re also eating and he’s eating the same thing as us. My one other piece of advice would be if your kid doesn’t want to eat don’t get stressed about it. Just leave them be. If they’re hungry, they’ll eat.
TV “Yes” or “No”?
Yes, in moderation. We have a cut off time of 6pm every night (5:30pm in winter when our evening prayer time is earlier). But there are tons of educational programmes out there that keep him entertained while I need to do something else.
What is in the lunchbox?
He gets a home-cooked meal at school so we send snacks which will be a mix of fruit, yoghurt, homemade muffins (on the rare occasion that I bake), Provitas, breakfast biscuits, dried fruit.
How do you balance it all – in one sentence?
With the help of my husband and family.
Do you children do chores at home, if so what and how do you manage it?
My son is only 2.5 years old so he doesn’t have chores per say but we’re trying to get him to pick up after himself (toys and other stuff he’s just randomly thrown around) and to wipe up messes that he’s made.
What is your favourite holiday plans/ activities with kids?
We like to get out and about and see local places. The beach is a favourite and so is any park. My mom has a holiday flat in Gordon’s Bay that we go to in the summer often so swimming is on the cards a lot of the time. My son especially loves going to the Aquarium and the Museum. We plan on taking him up Table Mountain soon.
Check out Zayaan’s blog here and catch up with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and SnapChat (zayaan27)