parent tribe issue two | august/ september 2013
ama m ve ti a tr s lu il n a , u earing gur w y b a b , e r tu n ve d a worldwide family and more inside...
be creative be free be together
“Happiness is only real when shared” - Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild
contents Page 8 Page 10 Page 12 Page 16 Page 18 Page 24 Page 27 Page 28 Page 30 Page 32 Page 34 Page 36 Page 40
Introduction from Hatti How can Parent Tribe Help you? A courageous story of a worldwide family adventure Modeling Courage Clare’s yoga for at home - Heathly backs Illustrations by Lamb & Fox We don’t Travel light poem Dad Chris shares his work-at-home story Creativity in Nature Photography Harriet & Garfield’s Feel Good Food ‘Story of Mum’ virtual Exhibition Babywearing guru Renee Shares her story Make a funny bunny
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Our Contributors Clare Cooper Clare, 33, lives with her partner Neil, 43, and their three children Surya, 5, Shanti, 3 and Sol, 7 months, on the edge of The English Lake District. Both Clare and Neil are Yoga teachers, so yogic ideas are important to them, as is being in nature, living simply, good food, having time to be with their children and materialising their creative ideas. Clare is with her children full time and when family life allows, teaches a small pregnancy yoga class and writes on all aspects of yoga and natural parenting. She also likes to choose creative projects that her children can be involved in including a natural parent and child group she runs alongside Hatti Burt called Beautiful Beginnings. Being able to watch her children grow and develop has led Clare to take the next step of home education and she aims to make their home a loving and creative place where the kids can discover who they are and unfold in their own way, and at their own pace.
Jody Temple-White Jody, 43, is from Beaverton, Oregon, USA but is currently travelling the world with her husband John, 65, and children Riley, 16 and Allison, 11. Jody and her husband John both work from wherever they are located. Jody runs an online consultancy and coaching business, and John works in the investment and insurance business. They have both built their businesses up online so that they could embark on their dream of travelling the world together. Jody also writes about their trip on her website The Courage Vibe, which is about the family’s courage as they learn the difference between being travelers and tourists. She tells stories of the people they meet around the world who are taking courageous action by starting foundations & orphanages, volunteering their time, starting businesses, improving communities, and showing up every day to make the world a better place. Jody is also going to share what she has learnt, by writing how we can show courage in our family lives on a daily basis. To read Jody and her family’s full story go to page 12 >>
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JANE DONALDSON Jane, 41 with her partner Paul and children Charlie 16, Ben 14 and Dylan 6, her oldest daughter Allana 23 lives nearby. She lives a short walk from the sea in a small town called Maryport. Jane is a true creative and works part-time as an Artist/General Manager for a Community Arts and Learning Charity, which delivers projects that promote health and well being and enable people to realise and value their full potential, centered around creativity and the environment. Jane count’s herself as a very lucky working mother and has two mottos that get her through parenting. “The first is don’t feel guilty - I can only do what I can do, I am only one person, I try to be the best mum I can be with all of what life is throwing, sometimes I manage this, sometimes I don’t and mess up. The second is if it works for you and your family ignore the people who tell you different. What worked for my family with my first child didn’t work for my fourth, which leads back to my first motto, no guilt.”
Are you interested in contributing to parent tribe? We are looking for writers, poets, illustrators, photographers! Find out more here >>
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Hello and welcome to our 2nd edition
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Two months after launching Parent Tribe online I am glad to be sharing the 2nd edition of the magazine. I have been blown away by such a positive response and was so happy that the 1st edition reached 1200 people worldwide. The top 5 countries being The UK, the United States, Canada, Germany & Spain but also many other countries I didn’t dream of like Brasil, Japan and Latvia. This was so exciting for me to know there are so many like-minded parents in all corners of the world. We are so lucky to have the internet to connect with people far and wide like this!
in the magazine, but once I commited to the project and had my vision in mind, then started contacting people with my idea, the most amazing things happened. I found people shared my philosophy and were as excited about the idea as I was, I found things fell into place and I became in contact with some really interesting people and families. It just shows once you commit to something and believe it is going to happen the universe moves to help make it happen for you! This edition includes some really special and creative parents and I hope you find them as inspiring as I do.
When planning Parent Tribe I really wasn’t sure how I was going to find people to be involved
As a family we have been enjoying the most amazing UK summer and taking full advantage
by going to the beach, swimming in lakes and rivers and meeting friends for picnics. After all my ethos is to enjoy the moment, get out in nature and treasure the good weather with your children - it’s so precious and these memories will last forever! I love the web and being able to work from home, but the last thing you want to do on a beautiful day is to be stuck in front of a computer screen, and working for yourself has the added benefits of being able to choose when and where you work! Yippee, I hope all of you in the UK have been enjoying the sun as much as us!
very soon and are currently collecting members for this so if you’re interested give me a shout! We also plan to give more support to parents who want to make a living from home. Find out more about his on page #10.
The future plans for Parent Tribe are also coming along. We hope to fully launch the online Tribe
Hatti Burt
I sincerely hope this edition makes you smile and gives your family some inspiration. I’d love to hear your comments and feedback on our Facebook page >> Thanks so much for reading Happy days
Find out more about my story here >> 9
How can Parent Tribe help you? At Parent Tribe we really respect parents who are doing their own thing and trying to change their lifestyle to fit around more family time, as we think it is so valuable. It is because of this it is our mission to help and support parents however they choose to do this. This may be by giving support to home businesses, inspiring parents to live their dreams or by creating a network of likeminded people to gain support from. There are many ways we aim to help you parents, here is what we are aiming for...
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The Tribe Directory We are currently working on and collecting members for our Tribe section of the website, which will be a place where parents who work from home, can offer a freelance service, make and sell goods or even have their own blog. Members can have their own personal profile page and will be promoted through the worldwde Parent Tribe community. We hope to build a community of parents who can buy, sell and support one another to make their living from home around family life. If you have a home business you may be looking to outsource some work, or maybe you are just looking for a handmade gift for someone, look no further than Parent Tribe and work with another like-minded parent! There will be free basic listings and full page listings for a small fee. If you would like to find out more and get the chance to get a free full page listing subscribe to our newsletter here >>
Share your story or Contribute Spread the word about what you do, share your passion and expertise whilst also inspiring other parents worldwide. We welcome stories from parents who have made their own home business or family dream come true. We also like to hear from change makers and creative parents, and are always looking for regular contributors. We love illustrations, photography, poetry and anything from the arts included too as long as it fits in with our ethos which you can find out more about here >> This is a chance to promote yourself and what you do to the Parent Tribe community. All web links will be included in articles or next to artwork.
Facebook Page We have our own Facebook page which offers support and guideance. We will also be using it to promote members of the Tribe once it is up and running. Join us on Facebook here >>
Home Business Support We are also planning to give further business support to parents who would like to start their own businesses from home around family life and don’t have a clue where to start! Often there are buisness courses available that aren’t compatible with family life, or touch on things that aren’t needed, which is why we would like to tailor the support to your needs. If you are interested, we’d be so happy if you could take 2 minutes to fill in this small survey so that we know what you need and can start gathering together the correct expertise to help you.
Business support survey >> 11
lifestyle and philosophy We have lived our lives in a pretty traditional fashion up until November 15, 2012, when we left our home to set out on a nine-month trip around the world with our kids. We gave away or sold most of our belongings and put the rest into a storage unit. Then we got on a plane and headed south to Australia. Our plan: to be flexible, open and curious about life in other countries, to learn about ourselves and others we meet, and to have the adventures we have always dreamed about. We also made it a goal to give back as much or more than we take, so we decided to find ways to volunteer as we traveled the world.
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Our philosophy on life: • Give more than you take • Smile • Keep your sense of humor
• Be friendly to every one you meet • Stay open to what could happen, even if what happens isn’t in the plans
home business Yes, John and I both work from wherever we are located. John has been in the investment and insurance business for over 35 years and has worked in a variety of offices and agencies. When living in Beaverton, he had a home office where he conducted online meetings with his clients and managed the administrative side of his business. Any face-to-face meetings were held at the client’s office or at a local coffee shop. Now while on the road, he talks with his clients by Skype or by email. The administration is completed by a number of different support personnel around the country. I, too, worked from home when we were living
Our Story Jody, 43, is from Beaverton, Oregon, USA but is currently travelling the world with her husband John, 65, and children Riley, 16 and Allison, 11. She also runs a coaching and consultancy business and writes a blog called The Courage Vibe.
in Beaverton because of the flexibility it allowed me. I have a consulting and coaching business which is done primarily online. I’ve worked in an office environment, and I can definitely say that working from home is the best option for me and my family. While on the road, I am blogging and writing about our experiences through my website TheCourageVibe.com. I still do some coaching, but not as much, due to the lack of consistent internet access. The site is about our trip and our courage as we learn the difference between being travelers versus tourists. The site is also about those we meet on our adventure. I tell the stories of the people they meet around the world who are taking courageous action by starting foundations & orphanages, volunteering their time, starting businesses, improving communities, and showing up every day to make the world a better place. It is a site about courage because life takes courage.
making it work around family Communication and respect. Clear communication among everyone in the family is essential for us in making it work. Communicating what needs to be done and how much time it will take to complete it is helpful to everybody. Also, setting up a clear schedule of when we are working and when we’re playing helps to keep us focused and on task. Once everyone knows what we are all working on, we show respect for that work by allowing the space and freedom to complete the tasks and the project. Distractions happen. I can attest to the fact that there is always something to distract us no matter where we are. By communicating what needs to be done, being disciplined to stick to our work schedule, and respecting our time, we counteract some of the distractions. Plus, if we all know that we are going to work one day
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“Both kids have become engaged learners and are uncovering interests they didn’t know they had.”
and play the next, then we are each motivated to get our work done that day so that we can play without guilt. We are all working really hard to stay present in our day-to-day life, so that when we work we work hard and when we play we play hard. I admit the kids are better at this than John and I, but we are improving. On a final note about balancing a home-based business and an active life with young kids, it can be difficult to find that balance, especially at first. It didn’t always run smoothly for us. It takes flexibility and patience to find your own rhythm. As the kids got older it became a little easier but still required the same skills of communication, discipline and respect among everyone.
Our inspiration When it comes to having a home-based business I don’t know if I was ever inspired to
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do it; I did it out of necessity because Allison had some medical needs which required me to be home and maintain a flexible schedule to accommodate her medical appointments and therapy sessions. Now that I’ve worked from home for so long, I am pretty much unemployable in the traditional sense. I have tasted freedom and a flexible schedule and I can’t imagine having to show up at a certain time every day, a prescribed lunch break, and only two weeks off every year. I love being an entrepreneur, creating new ways to make money without having to show up in an office every day to receive a paycheck at the end of the month. It is because of our “home-based businesses” that we are able to take this trip. Because we have created businesses that can be managed virtually it has enabled us to travel abroad for nine months experiencing different cultures, meeting new people and seeing incredible sights.
education options The United States offers a variety of education options for kids between the ages of kindergarten up through high school. The majority of children go to traditional schools, either private or public. Many children are homeschooled and others are trying new programs that provide online education and still provide transcripts and credits for college applications. Both Riley and Allison have participated in the traditional public school system and last year also participated in a homeschool program while preparing for the trip. Currently, Riley uses an online accredited high school which his local high school will recognize when we return back to Oregon. By using this program, Riley will be able to join his classmates for his senior year without missing any of the education. Allison is keeping up with her math, reading, writing and spelling using online programs and applications. The greater education is happening through the experiences, cultures and histories we are learning throughout this trip. Both kids have become engaged learners and are uncovering interests they didn’t know they had. Those things cannot be shown on any kind of transcript.
ADVICE TO OTHER PARENTS Working from home is a great option for many people, although it does require discipline, organization and clear boundaries. Working from home is not for everyone. My advice if you’re considering working from home: • Create a space dedicated to your and work learn to prioritize. • When you’re working, work. When you play, play. • Don’t let the tasks that need to be done
at home (dishes, laundry, etc.) stop you from doing your income producing work. • Learn your rhythms; pay attention to what time of day you get the best work done and set up your schedule around it.
favourite family activity Our favorite family activity would have to be exploring life and meeting new people, and during our downtimes, we play card games – cribbage, gin, canasta, crazy eights.
3 words to describe how you feel about your lifestyle? When I think about our current lifestyle right now it makes me smile, so the three words that would sum up how I feel about our lifestyle would be:
Grateful. Curious. Relaxed. Support The Courage Vibe Documentary! While on their trip Jody and her family have been part of a documentary, which shares their worldwide family adventure. You can help by supporting the campaign to raise funds for the documentary to go ahead.
Watch the trailer and show your support here >>
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Modeling Courage Written by Jody Temple-White You know that moment when your three-year old says something completely inappropriate and way beyond her understanding and you know exactly where she heard it? Of all the great things you say, she had to copy that? Or you’re at a play date, your son is behaving well, and suddenly he scolds another child in a very familiar tone and set of words. Is there an echo in here? Yes. Kids are flies on the wall, constantly watching us and learning what to do and say. As long as we have the power to influence in such stunning ways, I say let’s make the most of it! One thing I’ve become committed to modeling for my children is courage. It’s an inheritance I enthusiastically and consciously pass on to them because it will open doors beyond their imagination. If my kids see me willing to explore, learn, try and expand my own world, then they will feel safer doing it, too. If, on the other hand, I choose to be skeptical, judgmental, afraid, or show prejudice, they will live in fear, without the
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courage it takes to step beyond it. I stay in touch with how I’m doing modeling courage by asking myself these questions: ● Am I living courageously or in fear of the unknown? ● Do my conversations with my husband and others carry an optimistic tone? ● Do my kids see me explore, discover, try, succeed, fail and try again? ● Do I see them doing the same, in their own way? I can tell you with confidence that Courage is an eager companion. It opens up opportunities and expands your world. Like me, you want this for your children. We won’t get it by living in fear. Our family has chosen to live in everyday courage because we have experienced what courage does for a life and for family life. I am amazed every day by it and consider Courage one of my best and most trusted friends. I encourage you to choose the courageous path and model it for your kids, regardless of
Photo Left - Jody’s husband, Jon, and son, Riley, being courageous by talking to perfect strangers, in a new language, at a restaurant in Puerto Rico - a perfect example of modeling. Jody says “ The kids were friendly before their trip, but this trip they have watched and learned how to make friends where ever you are.”
their age. Even as teenagers, they still watch you and how you react and respond to the circumstances of life. Give them something inspiring to imitate. If you are not sure where to start, here is a plan: One. Each family member makes a weekly commitment to act courageously in a specific way. We call these Courage Commitments. They are small actions you can take during the week that will move you towards a goal or a dream. Think small, manageable steps to start. If your children are too young to verbalize this to you then help them with something that you notice they could work on. Maybe they are especially shy around new kids, encourage them to join more quickly by helping them role play how to do it. When you see them take even the smallest step in courage, recognize and celebrate it with them. The next time it will be easier for them. Two. Talk about courage and recognize not only your family’s courageous actions, but the courageous actions of those around you. These don’t have to be life-saving or heroic
actions (although they can be) but recognize the smaller actions of courage around you. Like being courageous enough to help someone, or striking up a conversation with someone or asking a question in class. Three. Celebrate your own courageous actions and know that courage builds confidence and creates its own momentum, if we let it. Enjoy the results that courage brings into your life. Tell us about them by posting a comment here at the Parent Tribe because we never stop learning from those around us. Your courage can inspire others to take action and begin living courageously and passing that on to our kids. Imagine how you’ll feel when you see your children show courage and know they learned it from watching you! Oh what a world this would be if everyone lived in courage rather than fear!
Check out Jody’s blog TheCourageVibe.com or follow her on facebook & Twitter 17
Clare’s Yoga for Home It is often the way that we don’t really pay much attention to our body until it starts to hurt and we are not able to do the things we have previously taken for granted. This is especially so with our back. Our spine is the physical core of our body, and is integral to every move we make, yet how often are we really conscious and aware of our spine until we are struck down with back pain? Once our back is hurt, we realise just how fundamental it is to everything we want to do, especially so when looking after babies and young children.
Clare is an inspirational yoga teacher specialising in pregnancy yoga where she encourages women to explore yoga to support themselves through pregnancy and in preparation for birth and motherhood. Clare is the mother of three homeschooled children and co-founder of Beautiful Beginnings Playgroup in Cumbria. Read Clare’s Blog The Essence of Yoga >>
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Through yoga practice we can develop greater awareness of our spine through considering our posture and the way we use our body. A healthy back is a balance of strength and flexibility; our back muscles need to be strong to maintain our core, yet flexible to accommodate our movement. Weakness or stiffness creates vulnerability in the spine, leaving us susceptible to back ache or injury. Simple yoga postures practiced regularly can maintain our spinal health, giving us the strength and freedom to move as we like. Maintaining your back with yoga is simple and the rewards are priceless.
6 Practices for a Strong and Flexible Back One: Semi Supine
two: Knees to Chest
• Begin by lying on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. Lengthen your neck by bringing your chin towards your chest. • Stretch your arms out to the side with palms facing upwards. • Imagine your breath expanding deep into your body. • Relax and let your lower back release into the floor with each exhalation. • This is a wonderfully restorative posture for your back. • (Lie on your left side to relax during pregnancy)
• Now bring your bents knees upwards over your chest with a hand on each knee. • Keeping your knees together, smoothly circle them around, massaging your lower back into the floor. Repeat in the other direction. • With a hand on each knee cirlce the knees seperately in wide circles, beginning to work into your hips. Repeat in the other direction. • Next, as you exhale with a hand on each knee bring your knees closer inwards over your chest, release as you inhale. Repeat for 5 breaths • Continue bringing your bent legs over your body as you exhale and bring your forehead up to meet your knees. Repeat for 5 breaths. • Stretch out your body into a star shape, stretching out your arms and legs as you breathe in, and relaxing as you breathe out. • (Avoid in pregnancy)
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Three: Bridge
Four: Marjari-asana ~ Cat Stretch Posture
• Bending your knees again with feet hip width apart and flat on the floor, as you breathe in, curl your pelvis upwards then begin to lift your lower back off the floor. Release your back down to the ground as your breathe out. • With each breath in, lift a little more of your back off the floor. Move smoothly, lifting vertebrae by vertebrae, again lowering smoothly as you breathe out. • When you feel comfortable with this, lift your arms upwards as you raise your spine, stretching them out onto the floor above your head. Hold the posture for a few breaths if comfortable, then return to the ground as you exhale. • Continue for as long as you are comfortable, then bring your knees into your chest, arms around your legs and gentley rock from side to side, releasing your back. • Avoid in pregnancy)
• Rolling over onto all fours take some time to feel your weight evenly balanced between your hands and your knees. Draw your tummy upwards a little and imagine your back to be straight. • As you inhale arch your spine downwards like a cat and bring your head upwards so you are looking up • As you exhale arch your spine upwards drawing your tummy in and move your head down to look through your legs. • Repeat this upwards and downwards arching slowly and smoothly, working in time with your breathing • (If pregnant begin with your back in the flat starting position and just arch your spine upwards and return to a flat back, don’t arch your spine downwards as this places a greater strain on your lower back.)
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Five: Standing Pelvic Tilt • This is the number one favourite amongst my pregnancy yoga students for healthy backs all the way through pregnancy! • Stand with your back against a sturdy flat wall and your feet about a foots length away. Let the back of your pelvis, shoulders and head touch the wall and have your knees slightly bent and arms relaxed. • Feel how the natural arch in your lower back means there is a space between your lower back and the wall. • Simply tilt your pelvis forwards so your lower back flattens into the wall, hold for a breath or so then release. Repeat frequently, especially useful in the mornings and also if you feel any mild back ache during the day.
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Six: Tadasana ~ Mountain Posture • A healthy, strong back is as much about posture as anything else. The way we stand, move and hold our muscles can either strengthen or strain our back as well as either making us feel good or increasing our muscular stress and tension. • Developing awareness and good postural habits is key. Stand in bare feet on the floor with your feet hip width apart and simply observe your body from the soles of your feet upwards. Notice where you feel strong and supported, and where feels strained or uncomfortable. • Next bring some awareness into your body. The mountain posture looks so simple – it’s just standing up! But perfectly balanced standing takes some awareness but feels fantastic once you get the hang of it. • Begin by spreading out your toes, feel your weight perfectly balanced over your heels, balls of your feet and toes. Sway back and forward slightly until your weight is perfectly balanced over the centre. • Soften your knees and thigh muscles slightly. Now think about your pelvis, imagine it like a basin filled with water, if it is tilted too far forward or backwards the water will spill out, gentley align your pelvis so it feels as though it is central and balanced effortlessly on top of your hips. • Imagine your tail bone moves down slightly lenghtening your whole spine. Now think of each vertebrae in your spine lifting upwards slightly, feel your whole spine growing taller. Draw your tummy in a little, especially if you are pregnant don’t let the weight of your baby pull you forward. • Soften your chest and your throat, let your shoulder blades soften and spread a little, feel your neck lenthening upwards. • Imagine you have a helium balloon attached to your head which softly lifts your
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head upwards. Feel your head weightless and balanced on your neck. • Breathe deeply and enjoy this perfectly balanced standing, all parts of the body effortlessly supported and supporting each other. • Little by little let this type of posture become your new norm, start to notice when you are slumping, tense and hunching and remind yourself to stretch, release and lighten up!
Peace to All ~ Light to All ~ Love to All
Introducing...
“Imagine a world where every child knows she is loved, wanted, trusted and safe. Her parents have affirmed her being to her each and every time they looked into her eyes with love...”
Imagine is a parenting manual for the heart and soul. Imagine celebrates the fundamental love between parent and child and beautifully illustrates how gentle, connected parenting in the early years can be carried with the child through their life, giving them a strong foundation from which to grow. In this beautiful and inspiring book Clare shares the complete version of the Imagine vision. Clare expands on the ideas within the poem offering exercises and visualisations to help open the heart and bring love, compassion and connection into everyday life. Beautiful illustrations by her young daughter perfectly capture the simplicity and innocence of love and family from a child’s perspective.
“From gentle beginnings watch her mighty spirit soar. It is this love that will see her through, this love she will make her own. And so it goes on ~ a gift to the future.
Imagine is due to be published in September 2013 by Beautiful Beginnings Publications. To find out more or to order your copy please visit www.beautifulbeginnings.org.uk/publications or contact Clare directly Clare@beautifulbeginnings.org.uk
Let this child be your child.”
Beautiful Beginnings Publications brings forth inspiring books dedicated to increasing love and unity to our collective human experience.
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I’m not sure which bits to take out! Sorry for being a pain! : )
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Laura Bevan, 48 and husband John, 44 live in Barnet, North London with their two beautiful daughters Izi,13 and Ava, 9. Eno the cat, 6, also shares the premises.
Lamb & Fox - Art & Illustration Since having Izi in 2000 and then Ava in 2004 my creative work had been minimal as I dedicated time to bringing up the girls. By the end of 2011, I had a strong desire to develop my creativity again and to make a go of a career as an illustrator. So with the encouragement of my husband, John, I decided to give it a go. Lamb and Fox (named after my girls favorite loved toys!) began at the start of 2012, initially as a blog that would chart my creative journey and progress. As both the girls were in full time education, it gave me more time to develop my style and portfolio. A personalised picture that I did for a friend’s birthday, sparked the beginning of commissioned personalised pictures for clients. Although I promote through my website and social media, nearly all of my commissioned work has come from word of mouth. I love the fact I am doing something that I love, yet I can work it perfectly around the girls and their schedule. Because of what I do the girls
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spend a lot of time being creative too. I have paper, paints, glue and fabrics all within easy reach, so they can use whatever they want. They already produce amazing work. During the school holidays it is harder to work during the day, so early morning and evenings are key times for me. I try and do days out that are both inspirational for me and yet fun for the girls too. Trips into London and all it offers, the coast and parks offer me lots of visual inspiration, so my camera and sketch book are at hand to record scenes that can be used later for my
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mini sketches that I sell through Etsy. For the future, I plan to sell more sketches but on a bigger scale and in colour. I would also like to do more paintings that maybe one day I could exhibit. I’ve just got to figure out how to fit it into my schedule! I followed my heart, and am doing what I love, which makes me a very happy Mum indeed!
Find Lamb & Fox on Facebook, Twitter, Etsy, Instagram and Lamb&Fox.com
We Don’t Travel Light Holidays used to be restful times — before we became mum and dad’. Journeys were simple; travel was light, there was plenty of time for talking and reading, uninterrupted by cries of “ mum-mee!” Now journeys are complex, gargantuan feats (from hallway to front door to car is the worst); they make me reflect on how Sisyphus felt. We don’t travel light. Our bags overflow with nappies and baby wipes, clothes for the journey, clothes for wet weather, clothes for hot weather, clothes just in case. Yet I do not miss the old holidays, for my children have given me gift after gift: patience to sit in slow traffic unfazed, the skill to relate a good story, wisdom to listen and arbitrate squabbles, fresh eyes to perceive every pebble’s a jewel, new senses to feel every texture of sand. I treasure these gifts for the gemstones they are, like the sea glass and shells that the sea offers up. For the moment Our minds bulge memories of ice lotion, and let’s
we don’t travel light. with images moments of joy — cream-smeared faces, sandy sun play I spy over and over again.
By Marija Smits www.marijasmits.wordpress.com
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lifestyle and philosophy
making it work around family
Our philosophy is to try to be as child led as possible and put ourselves in Lily’s shoes. We believe that parents should trust their children, listen to them and try to understand their frustrations. Allow them to express themselves and help them to channel their emotions. We plan our activities, meals and family outings around what will be fun and beneficial for Lily and the whole family. We both enjoy sharing in the wonder a toddler has of the world.
We make it work through hard work. As my work is focused online it suits remote working and most communication can be done via email, phone or skype. Having a spare room to make into an office has helped keep a focus and gives me an environment to work from separate from the rest of the house. It also helps that Emma takes Lily out and about a lot during the day giving me the space and time to focus on work.
home business
Our inspiration
I work from home. We have our own business called Clear New Media, where I manage online marketing campaigns for clients, largely in the Affiliate Performance Marketing sector. We also have two IPhone apps, Football on the TV and The Face Game.
I was made redundant in September 2009 and decided to look to use my sector expertise and work for myself. I was confident in my ability to do the job and was confident with some hard work I could get in the clients or projects I needed. After working on a fixed term
Our Story Chris Brown, 33, lives with his partner Emma Trotter, 32, and their daughter Lily Ava-Rose Brown, 22 months, in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Chris runs an online marketing business from home and Emma is a full time mum.
3 words to describe your lifestyle
Liberated.
Fulfilled.
project with another company it convinced me to take the plunge and when Lily was born I set up on my own. Running my own business is something I’ve always had an ambition for. The fact I could set my own hours and spend much more time at home with Lily and Emma was a massive factor. There was a point last year where we had no income but we decided to persevere. I did not want to be chained to an office job and out of the house every day 8am – 6pm and coming home at bed time. I felt I would miss so much of Lily growing and developing that it was worth keeping going.
education options We have discussed home schooling and it is an option we are seriously considering. We both feel it would be better for Lily’s development as it can be tailored and less structured than the school system. We are going to see what sort of schools are available closer to the time.
Excited.
Some new academy schools free from the LEA are being set up with a more explorative and play led curriculum, especially between 5-8 years old.
ADVICE TO OTHER PARENTS Keep going and stay positive, that is the most important factor to succeeding. Time management is also important. Make sure you set time aside to work but also enjoy the benefits of working from home and enjoy the freedom and time it allows you to spend with the family. You can always do work in the evening!
favourite family activity Tough one, right now puddle splashing is a big favourtie along with sliding, checking out animals, singing and dancing.
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Creativity in Nature
Photographs by Julia Elmore Find Julia at www.becreativedaily.com 30
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H a rr i et & Garfie ld’ s The Green Breakfast smoothie 1 banana a handful of fresh spinach a handful of porridge oats 1 tbsp almond butter your choice of milk (we prefer almond) 1 tbsp honey or agave syrup Optional 1 tbsp hemp powder a handful of goji berries (soaked for 5 mins in water) 1 tsp spirulina This creamy superfood smoothie is a fun and easy way to start the day. Our little one loves them and it’s a great way to get lots of vitamins and minerals into him. This recipe includes so many great nutrients including iron, calcium, protein, amino acids and more, and has no sugar! How to do it One. Place all ingredients into smoothie maker or food processor excluding milk. Two. Add as much or as little milk as you wish depending on how thick you like your smoothie. Three. Whizz up and serve for breakfast - yum!
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Feel Good Food Non Dairy Banana Ice Cream 2 bananas 2 tbsp peanut butter Optional 1 tsp flaxseeds chocolate sauce
This is a super easy and healthy ice cream to eat with your family in summer. It has lots of potassium from the bananas and protein from the peanut butter. If you include flaxseeds you also get the benefit of omega 3. The perfect energising treat! How to do it One. Chop up bananas into small pieces and freeze for at least 1/2 a day. Two. Once frozen take the bananas, peanut butter and flaxseeds in a bowl and whizz with a handheld blender. Three. Serve the ice cream with your favourite chocolate sauce drizzled over the top.
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The Story of Mum is a community of brave supportive mamas doing uplifting, thoughtprovoking, slightly silly, creative things together to celebrate the ups and downs of motherhood. The community was founded by Pippa Best, a mother of two young children, who was inspired to try this project after a good friend of hers died.To find out more about the interactive journey and get involved go to www.storyofmum.com
I’m a mum and a ...
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Story of Mum:
Mums making an
Exhibition of ourselves
Read Parent Tribe’s Story of Mum exhibition on our blog here >>
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lifestyle and philosophy I parent using attachment theory and try to take as much of a gentle stand with my children as I can. Although in the beginning I had no idea there was even a term for how I chose to parent. I come from a very Atypical old style family and the saying ‘a child should be seen but not heard’ was said to me a lot. I always felt as if I was ‘bad’ and learned from a very young age not to complain and just get on with life; no matter how bad. When I had my daughter in 1998 I had no idea how to look after a child and blindly went along with what everyone else suggested. I formula fed my daughter as that’s what I was told I should do, I tried not to pander to my daughter when she cried as I was lead to believe that was how you raised a baby. However, when no-one was there, I would hold my daughter all the time and would put her into a wilkinet sling I had been given. She was so tiny and perfect
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I could never have thought about making her feel like I did as a child. So I lived a double life, in front of people I was a ‘normal’ mum and behind doors I spent all my time nurturing my daughter. As she grew up I began to realise I had no clue how to discipline a child. Having only known hitting and shaming and not wanting to be like this, I went in search of information that could help me achieve something more than I had previously known. I came across a book called ‘The Secret To Happy Children’ by Steve Biddulph. It completely transformed my life and I went on to read his other book ‘More Secrets To Happy Children’ - It made total sense. In 2002 I moved away from my family and as luck would have it found out I was expecting again. This time I did EXACTLY what I wanted. I breastfed my daughter and wore my daughter and I loved every moment of it. When both of my daughters were under a year old I had to go back to work so juggling work and children was a real challenge. Once again with child minders
Our Story Renee, 34, lives with her partner Colin, 34, and her children Jordan, 15, Ebony, 10, Harrison, 3 and Callum, 1. in a small friendly village in Norfolk. Renee is also the editor of online babywearing magazine, Close Enough to Kiss, and is a babyweaing consultant.
and school I felt as though I was being pushed to parent in a more mainstream manner. In 2007 I met my current partner. Although I had said I didn’t want any more children, in 2009 I gave birth to our son Harrison. 9 months after that I had fallen pregnant again, with our next child Callum. My new partner was very accepting of my choice to parent gently. When I was pregnant with Harrison I had befriended someone who shared the same philosophy as me, she called it ‘attachment parenting’. I finally felt as though I belonged and read books, with a new thirst for knowledge on the subject. Everything I had done and wanted to do finally made sense. If I worded my parental philosophy it would be – raising children with autonomy.
home business I am a work at home mum. I gave up my fulltime job after the birth of my third child and fully
expected to devote all my attentions to being a mum. However it became apparent when he was 6 months old that I needed something else to make me feel complete. As much as I truly loved being a stay at home mum, I had a nagging urge that I needed something else to plough any extra energies I had into. I started volunteering at a local breastfeeding café which I later took over. Then I started a sling library which lead me onto what I currently do – a magazine editor.
making it work around family I can pretty much work anywhere there is an internet connection and a flat surface. I use the time my children are happily playing, or having a nap, to work throughout the day. I also work a lot in the evenings once they are in bed. Whilst I am cooking dinner I use that time to jump on and off my computer, which is conveniently situated in my kitchen. I home educate my
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second daughter, who spends a lot of her time in the kitchen also working on her laptop so we can natter whilst I work and I can direct her if she needs it.
Our inspiration The choice to full time babywear set me on the road to the current path I am on. Looking for some support with babywearing I came across nothing locally so I decided to start a sling library. It took about 6 months to get started but in February 2012 I opened Norwich Sling Library. It was whilst brainstorming on how to raise much needed money to purchase more slings for the library that I had my eureka moment. Fast forward another 6 months and I had released my first magazine and plunged head first into the world of working from home.
education options In March 2012 I decided to home educate my second daughter, she was 9 at the time. After discussions with her dad and despite my wanting to, we made the decision to keep my eldest in secondary school as she was in the process of choosing her GCSE options. I had planned to home educate my younger 2 sons, however with my first son being assessed for ASD and with his additional needs, I feel that a school can offer him more than I can at home. He thrives on routine and a free lifestyle, which is something I currently struggle with due to his boisterous nature. That’s not to say this won’t change but currently he is at playschool with
3 words to describe your lifestyle
Free.
view to go to infant school in Sept 2014. I am undecided about my youngest son currently.
ADVICE TO OTHER PARENTS Do it! Don’t be afraid, set up a space to work from and it won’t be long before you figure out the best times to work. You don’t even have to get dressed in the morning to go to work! I find it liberating working in my PJ’s. If I find I am struggling to focus I go off and have a cup of tea, do a bit of cleaning and then go back. I can take a day/hour/week off without discussions with a boss. If the kids have something that needs doing there and then I can stop what I am doing and go do it. I don’t live to a schedule and put in as much or as little time as I want.
favourite family activity We have a local forestry commission area that we go to regularly. There is masses of open space for the kids to run about, an area for them to bike, lots of play equipment for them to use and many peaceful walks to burn off a large Sunday lunch. We regularly picnic there and have on occasions met friends for a barbeque.
Check out Renee’s Magazine at closeenoughtokiss.co.uk . you can also follow her on facebook, twitter, you tube & Pinterest
Fulfilling.
Busy.
“Rebelchildren,I urgeyou,fight the turgid slick of conformity with which they seek to smother your glory.� - Russell Brand
Make a funny bunny Get creative with your kids with our quick 5 min simple bunny tutorial By Jane donaldson
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All you need for this project is a bit of stuffing, a pair of scissors, needle and thread and a children’s sock.
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One: Take some stuffing and stuff the foot part of the sock—but not too much! Where the foot part ends and the heal begins sew a running stitch around the sock and pull to gather it. Knot your thread and snip.
Two: On the top of the bunny’s back, sew a circle about an inch in diameter with a simple running stitch. Then pull to gather. You may have to mush the stuffing around so you can pull it tight to make a tail shape. When you have a little bunny tail, wrap your thread around a few times and knot off.
three: To make the head, put a little stuffing inside the sock and sew a running stitch around the top of the heel. Before you pull it taut make sure all the stuffing is pushed down under your stitches. Then wrap the thread around and knot off.
Four: Cut a big V shape out of the top of the sock. Now trim the top part of each ear to a point and shape the ear . And there you have one cute bunny and it’s up to you if you add eyes, nose and a mouth. I like it without. 41
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