Before I get into today’s main topic and talk to you about how to build a reading habit in children, I’ll tell you a rather enlightening anecdote in this regard. I have bought a great book. A great, great book. Pure literature. The kind of book you don’t understand a word. But it looks cool under my arm: the book cover matches my shoes.
Going to the beach with kids makes you realize a lot of things. I don’t understand how the idea of going to the beach makes people so excited. Starting with me. Let me be clear. I’m not thinking of a deserted beach in the Caribbean, with white sand and turquoise water, where palm trees lean over the sea defying gravity, etc. I’m talking about an overcrowded-grey-sand-turbid-waters type of beach, where the only thing that leans over the sea and defies the law of gravity is your flesh after three pregnancies. Every year I can’t wait to go there, and every year I can’t wait to LEAVE.
Today I’m going to talk to you about the benefits of watching movies for children. Yes, movies. That thing I haven’t had any contact with since Emma was born. I’m sure any real-life mom will agree with me when I say that, for me, movies now only have beginnings: ten tiny minutes during which you’re filled with faith and think that your children will stay away while you enjoy a good movie after lunch. Ha! I don’t even remember how many times I fell for that one … You start by putting your feet up on the couch, and pulling the blanket a little bit … and next thing you know, they are on top of you screaming in your ear.
At Mumablue we stand for the family: that’s why we want to join LGBT Pride Day by advocating for family diversity. We are always committed to values such as respect, inclusion, and tolerance, values that are very present in our books in many different contexts, values that we believe are the basis of responsible and healthy education.
The other day I saw a documentary from the 60s when people really started “going on holiday” in the summer. They weren’t afraid of packing with children then! The whole family could fit into a Chevy. And when I say the whole family I mean the father, the mother, the four kids, grandma, and grandpa… And even a canary cage! Really? In the roof rack, two small suitcases. REALLY?
The other day I was thinking about how to tackle environmental education with my children and how parents should address issues such as responsible consumption, environmental sustainability, ecological footprint, or the importance of recycling. To do this, I went back to the time when I started recycling… What a memory! How beautiful it was. And how important we felt sorting waste. Once, I even cleaned my waste before taking it to the dumpster!
Experts say kids should eat vegetables. And kids say experts should eat them! Meanwhile, here we are, mothers, caught in the middle of that crossfire, pulling out crazy tricks for children to eat vegetables. I’ve tried everything, even marketing tactics: I once dressed up as a VIP! (Very Important Pea). You may think it’s crazy… and it is… but, let’s see, I said to myself: a mascot always works. Well, it’s clear that, in this case, it didn’t: while Marie and Emma looked at me with a mocking look, David broke down in tears, heartbroken. I suppose he thought that the giant pea had eaten his mother.
Being a mom is never easy, but being a mom during confinement is a different story. Today I’d like to discuss the subject of homework assignments. Come on! The very first day they sent things to print. Who the hell has a printer at home anymore! Documents are printed at work, that is a fact! Just because I’m working from home doesn’t mean I have a printer AT home. Alright? On the second day, they sent out an educational website. Very nice, if it wasn’t for the fact that it required Flash Player! Are you kidding me? Since when you don’t renew content, since Y2K? Craft activities have reached a whole new level. Was it just me, or did they send you all the activities to do with toilet paper towels? In the middle of the toilet paper crisis! Now that I think about it, maybe the school crafts were the reason for the shortage.
Looking for a fun and original gift for Dad? For this Father’s Day 2020 give him a storybook! We know that dad loves handmade gifts, drawings, pasta crafts, and even colorful ties… but, what if this year we get him an unforgettable gift? “Together” is a Mumablue book that allows you to personalize dad and child and offers a unique family reading experience.
Being a mom during confinement means to multiply yourself at least three times. Remember when we thought confinement was going to end by Easter? Look, a chance to get the work-life balance! That is what most mums thought … What fools we were! What a childish innocence! … More than a month later, locked up at home with three children, with homework, working from home and the news, I realize how fine the line is between conciliation and being a geek. To be a mother in quarantine.