NORWAY: Finding Child Care

My little lad is almost one year old, my maternity leave is over, and the paternity leave will be over in a month. So, after lots of “to-ing and fro-ing”, we decided to apply for a nursery.

Although many parents decide to stay at home, it is also quite common here for both parents to go back to work when the child is one. However, this article is not meant to start a discussion as to whether or not a one year old is ready to go to nursery, as that would be a whole separate article in its own right.

In Norway the government has introduced a policy called “Full  Nursery/Kindergarten Coverage” – meaning that all children who wish should get a space in nursery (at a reasonable price) from the time they are one year old.

One of the reasons for this is so that parents would not have to take on child minders they don’t necessarily know and find other temporary solutions to child minding.

This sounds great doesn’t it? (more…)

Astrid Warren (Norway)

Astrid is a Norwegian thirty something, married, working mum to a wee lad who is almost three and a baby born in 2012! She grew up in Norway, but moved to London, England after she met her husband. After living there during her twenties, she has since returned to Norway and settled down in her nation's capital of Oslo to raise her family. She finds herself slowly turning into her own mother as her free time is spent reading, walking, knitting and meeting up with other mums for coffee. (Ok, she still secretly loves going to the pub, too!). However, there isn't much time for any of the above, as she now enjoys spending most of her time crawling around on the floor, while playing with her children! Check out her blog, Quintessentially Burrows. She's also on Twitter @MrsSWarren.

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NORWAY: Practical or Beautiful?: A French Mother’s Perspective

I remember walking in the street, while pregnant, looking at some young mothers pushing their prams, looking great.  They were made up and wearing cool clothes: the perfect combination of the modern mum and the urban self-confident woman.

I thought to myself ,” Right, I’ll be a pretty mummy.” (It’s funny how I never stopped to consider the other mums around, wearing sweatpants and who had given up on their brush.  Shouldn’t that have given me a hint?)

And then my beautiful baby came … nothing was (is) more important than her well-being.  Who cares what I look like?! Arguments were pouring through my mind:

1) I’m breastfeeding, so I need to be comfortable

2) I am not going to buy more clothes, I’ll just wear my training trousers until I fit into my old clothes again

3) I am getting up at night and going to bed during the day, so no real point of getting out of my PJs…

4) I never go out. Winter in Norway? Minus 18 and 2-meter snow, say no more! (more…)

Travel Itinerary for the Week of January 31st!

We are in for an exciting week featuring two new international writers, so fasten your seatbelts!

We start off this week in Oslo, Norway on Monday, to hear from first-time World Moms Blogger Ambre French, our French Mom who lives in Scandinavia.

On Tuesday, we fly across the pond to New Jersey to spend time with Veronica Samuels, who is preparing for the arrival of her second child.

On Wednesday, we take off for New Zealand to hear from Karyn Van Der Zwet, Mom of three and former teacher, who is also writing for us for the first time.

And on Thursday, we’re back in the United States to connect with Minnesota Mom Galit Breen, world traveler-turned-devoted-Mom.

Be sure to look out for our Friday question at the end of the week, and chime in with comments of your own!

— World Moms Blog

Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.

World Moms Blog

World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children. World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.

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NORWAY: Paternity Leave in Norway

In Norway we have a choice between 46 weeks (with 100% pay) or 56 weeks (with 80% pay) parental leave. Six weeks are reserved for the mother, 10 weeks reserved for the father (plus the 2 weeks off they get at the time of the birth), and the rest can be shared. Next year, the fathers 10 weeks will be increased to 12 weeks.

Some fathers, however, feel that they are not able to take this leave, but this very much depends on the type of work he has, e.g. somebody who is paid on commission can hardly afford to take 10 weeks off. Or, for somebody who is running their own company, it might be difficult to take so much time out.

The mother does not have the “luxury” to decide whether or not she can afford to take maternity leave, as she kind of has to take at least some time off, and traditionally it is expected that the takes most of the leave. (more…)

Astrid Warren (Norway)

Astrid is a Norwegian thirty something, married, working mum to a wee lad who is almost three and a baby born in 2012! She grew up in Norway, but moved to London, England after she met her husband. After living there during her twenties, she has since returned to Norway and settled down in her nation's capital of Oslo to raise her family. She finds herself slowly turning into her own mother as her free time is spent reading, walking, knitting and meeting up with other mums for coffee. (Ok, she still secretly loves going to the pub, too!). However, there isn't much time for any of the above, as she now enjoys spending most of her time crawling around on the floor, while playing with her children! Check out her blog, Quintessentially Burrows. She's also on Twitter @MrsSWarren.

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Travel Itinerary for Week of January 24th!

Join us in the city of Seattle of Washington, USA on Monday!  There, Tara B. will tell us how she got her 2nd child to sleep unlike her first in her post, “No Longer Sleepless in Seattle.”

Then, hop a flight with us to Oslo, Norway, where Asta Burrows give us more details about the incredible paternity leave in her home country.  Check out her post, “Paternity Leave in Norway”!

Wednesday, we take off for New Jersey, USA to meet up with Veronica Samuels.  And, on Thursday we head north to Toronto, Canada to hear from Kirsten Jessiman, our 1/2 marathon mom!

On Friday, Eva Fannon of Washington, USA leads us in our Friday Question discussion.  (By the way, did you catch last Friday’s about most embarrassing moments in motherhood?  They may make you laugh!)

World Moms Blog is having an international growth spurt!  This week on our Facebook Page we announced the addition of two new writers:  Ambre French, a French “maman” writing from Scandanavia (Norway) and Karyn Van Der Zwet, a “mum” writing from New Zealand.  You can check out their profiles on our Writer’s Page!

And, this week on our Facebook Page, we will be announcing, yet another, new international mother from India who is joining our writing team, too!

We are continually on the search for new international writers.  There are so many interesting stories in motherhood that we can learn from across the globe.  If you live outside the U.S. and are interested in writing for World Moms Blog, please feel free to contact us at worldmomsblog@gmail.com.

We also have some exciting administrative changes around the corner…with Veronica’s, second birth expected in March, we are in the midst of finalizing our new editing and administrative roles.  The blog must go on! Veronica is so appreciative that so many World Moms Blog writers are pitching in while she’s busy with her new baby, and for the continued support of all of our writing team to keep the blog going strong!

— World Moms Blog

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Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.

World Moms Blog

World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children. World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.

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Friday Question: Have you told a little white lie?

This week we asked our World Moms Blog writers…

“Fess up, moms! Any white lies you want to admit to telling your children?”

The ladies, as usual, did not hold back…

Kirsten Jessiman of Toronto, Canada writes:

“My top three:

– If you keep pouting and the wind changes, your face will stay that way.

– The monsters went away because I punched them in the nose.

– Yes, I also have to go to my room when I say a bad word.” (more…)

World Moms Blog

World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children. World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.

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