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December 2017

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Another year is coming to an end, so it’s the perfect time for some new year’s resolutions. Let me just say; I’m not a massive fan of resolutions because I’m not very good at sticking to them. Come the middle of January and all the plans for losing weight or whatever resolutions I made, are long forgotten. I guess I’m just not taking them too seriously. If I feel motivated to a change in my life, or improve on something, I like to do it there and then, not wait till 1st of January. Saying that, I’ve come up with these new year’s resolutions for all mums who live abroad. Because life in a different country comes with some unique challenges, so I’m hoping you can improve your day to day expat experience with these small but powerful changes. Happy new year to all of you! Visit home as much…

We know kids are all different, with their very own individual needs. But even though, it never stops to amaze me just how different the journey of each and every parent can be. All new parents struggle, and all in a totally different way. Some kids sleep through the night very early on, while others can wake up every single hour for months and months on end, without very little improvement. Hello sister. You never know just how hard parenting is until you find yourself in that situation. Throughout the pregnancy, you envision your new life with the baby and all the excitement and anticipation is almost too much to bear. Those nine months of waiting seem to go on forever. You count the days down and can’t wait to finally hold your new bundle of joy. Then, your baby arrives and you realise very early on that your expectations don’t…

There are many lovely parks around the West Yorkshire and we love to discover new places. Ever since Little E came along last year, walks in the parks became one of our favourite outdoor activities. I visited this place for the first time with a mummy friend. She is local and has been there many times before. My first impression on our arrival, was WOW, what a lovely spot. We were surrounded by woods as well as plenty of green and open spaces. I instantly thought about Mr A and how much he would love it there.  And I was right. When we visited together, he fell in love with the place instantly. He loves roaming the woods and explore every single corner, every branch and every tree. It quickly became apparent that we found a new spot we will be visiting regularly. About Oakwell Hall and Country Park It’s…

Christmas is a magical time, but when you have kids, it becomes even more special. I remember the excitement of celebrating our daughter’s first Christmas like it was yesterday. We spent the holidays in Slovakia with all the family around and it really was special. Dressing her in a cute Christmas outfit, taking those beautiful photos next to Christmas tree, while she happily posed, it was such a joyous time. And here we are one year on, celebrating our baby’s second Christmas. What can we expect this year? Without a doubt, this Christmas is going to be a lot different than the previous year. She is a lot more active. I’m pretty sure, she won’t have the patience to sit still this time around while we take the perfect photo next to the Christmas tree. There are certainly some good but also not so good points about baby’s second Christmas.…

Becoming a parent abroad has many challenges. One of them is deciding what language you want your child to learn. Do you teach them the community language only or do you introduce your mother tongue as well?  Decisions, decisions. A dilemma every parent faces when they decide to start a family abroad. For us, it was a no-brainer. We want our Little E to speak our native languages as well as English. That is Slovak, Albanian and because we live in the UK, English. But that’s when the fun starts. Raising multilingual kids isn’t an easy task. It all sounds great. Multilingualism has some great benefits for your child. But don’t take my word for it, I’m not an expert on the subject. There are, however, many studies and researchers found that bilingualism or multilingualism helps children better understand other people’s perspectives, which results in better natural communication skills. Another study also…

When you become a parent, your dining out experience is only one of the many many things that will change dramatically. Gone are the days when you could enjoy a three-course meal undisturbed and sip on your glass of Sauvignon without a care in the world. Oh no, there is nothing peaceful about going out for a meal with kids. In this instance, I’m talking about small kids specifically. Dining out with a toddler isn’t a smooth ride, but there are ways around and steps you can take to make the whole experience more manageable. Maybe even enjoyable. Ok, perhaps I’m pushing it a bit too far when I say enjoyable. But you can certainly carry it through without losing your mind. With some adjustments and planning, I don’t see a reason why you shouldn’t take your toddler out for a meal.  Here are some tips to help you deal…