NEW ZEALAND: When Do We Step In?

NEW ZEALAND: When Do We Step In?

In our house we eat simply: mostly fresh fruit and veges, some dairy, nuts most days, pasture raised meat and a few grains. The boys  drink water or milk and rarely sodas or fruit-juice.  We don’t tend to have packet foods, but I bake a few muffins and we have ice-cream and chocolate as treat-foods.  The children who visit us mostly come from homes who eat in a similar way, so food for our guests hasn’t ever been a problem.

The few children who have come and are used to trash food have the simple option of eating or not. I never make a big deal out of it and they never go hungry. (more…)

Karyn Wills

Karyn is a teacher, writer and solo mother to three sons. She lives in the sunny wine region of Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand in the city of Napier.

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NEW ZEALAND: My do it, MYSELF!

NEW ZEALAND: My do it, MYSELF!

Call it Mummy amnesia, but I’m certain that our older two children were, well, older when they began to insist on doing things “myself.”

Our lovely Mr Butterfly is the grand old age of two and has insisted on doing things himself for a few months now. Once again I am faced with the mixed emotions of delight (that he wants to do things for himself and often can) and horror (at the things he wants to attempt).

Climbing has been a regular fixture in our family. Mr Hare (nine) spends a good portion of his life a-top tall trees, and Mr Owl was months old when he began climbing chairs to get on to the top of the dining table. I have strategies (mostly involving selected blindness and deep breathing) for dealing with the climbing.

It’s been a long time since we’ve fed Mr Butterfly, and cleaning up the mess beneath his chair, on his chair, beside his chair, on the front of the table, the side of the table and the top of the table, are simply part of my regular after meal routine. We have plasters and hugs a plenty, so in our house small people using scissors and knives is really no big deal. (more…)

Karyn Wills

Karyn is a teacher, writer and solo mother to three sons. She lives in the sunny wine region of Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand in the city of Napier.

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Travel Itinerary for the Week of November 14th!

This week we start off in Massachusetts with Kyla P’an. Kyla’s post, written in response to Tara B.’s post last week, talks about how Kyla’s relationship with religion has shifted over the course of her life.

On Tuesday, we head to New York to hear from Maman Aya, who has been trying to take a break! As all of us moms know, this is virtually impossible! Maman Aya tells us about a family vacation that has kept her almost as busy as she is at home!

On Wednesday, grab your passport for a trip to Switzerland! We will hear from new writer Kristin Kolb, who recently had to dig up her own passport for a trip across the ocean sans kids. She talks about how she helped her family cope with her absence.

On Thursday, we travel to another part of the world as we visit with Karyn at Kloppenmum in New Zealand. She broaches the subject of independence in our children, and the conflict we sometimes feel when our babies start doing things themselves.

And on Friday, we head off to Norway to hear from Asta Burrows. Asta looks back over her first year with World Moms Blog and reflects on the milestones that have happened in her life since writing her very first post.

We have two new writer interviews this week! On Tuesday we hear from Ms. V of South Korea, and on Thursday we hear from Melanie Oda from Japan.

On Saturday, check out the Saturday Sidebar with Eva Fannon, where the World Moms give their thoughts on an important topic, and chime in with your answers to the week’s question!

— 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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NEW ZEALAND: Do YOU have a Choice?

NEW ZEALAND: Do YOU have a Choice?

When Germaine Greer wrote  The Female Eunuch, at the height of The Feminist Revolution, she suggested that motherhood should not be considered a substitute to a career. By the time she wrote The Whole Woman in 1999, she had done a complete 180 degree turn and called for proper state-funding for Stay at Home Mums.

She realised full-time mothering is as valuable to many women as being in paid work. She also realised there were benefits to society as a whole.

Children who feel well attached to their mothers do better at life. They make better decisions; they chose more mature friends and partners, and their relationships are more likely to last; they have a work ethic which is balanced with a sense of play; they are physically healthier and they have a stronger sense of community. And becoming properly attached takes intense commitment from one main carer for a long time. (more…)

Karyn Wills

Karyn is a teacher, writer and solo mother to three sons. She lives in the sunny wine region of Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand in the city of Napier.

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Travel Itinerary for the Week of August 29, 2011!

We start off the week in New Zealand with Karyn Van Der Zwet of Kloppenmum. (Yay — she’s back!) Karyn talks about attachment parenting and discusses the direction in which societal roles are changing for mothers.  A very interesting read!

On Tuesday,  we head south of the border to hear from Eva Fannon of Washington, USA.  She tells us about a 24 hour trip to New York — it must have been nice to have some alone time!
Then, board a long haul flight with us to East Timor  on Wednesday!  Shaula Bellour is our mom of twins who has told us before that she has to look out for things like crocodiles in everyday life!
Thursday, we’re in Canada! Here, Robin of “Farewell, Stranger” is our mom who writes inspiring stories about her experiences with Post Partum Depression.  Did you know she was asked to speak at a blogging conference in 2012?  Check out her blog for more upcoming details!
This week in interviews we have new writer,  Salma, in Canada and Maggie Ellison in South Carolina, USA. Come read more about our World Moms Blog Writers!
Our founder, Jennifer Burden, was nominated for a Babble Award. Help support World Moms Blog by voting for her — the prize is $5,000 that we can use to help mothers and children!!  How cool would it be to fund the very causes important to mothers that we discuss, here, on the blog? There’s nothing to sign up for, you just have to click the grey “Like” box.  Please vote here! 
In news, we will be announcing several more writers from the USA these coming weeks!  And, in an effort to try to keep World Moms Blog more geographically balanced, we have already started a waiting list for future USA writers only.  We are thrilled with all the requests!

— 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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NEW ZEALAND: Interview with Karyn Van Der Zwet

NEW ZEALAND: Interview with Karyn Van Der Zwet

Where in the world do you live?

I live in Napier, on the sunny east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. After a major (7.8) earthquake in 1931 the centre of Napier was rebuilt in the styles of Art Deco and Art Nouveau and has become something of a tourist destination. http://www.artdeconapier.com/

There are plenty of wineries around too. 🙂 http://www.hawkesbaynz.com/Visit/Wine–Food/

(Come in February – the kids are back in school and the weather is warm and settled.)

And, are you from there?

I grew up in a country area called Tutira, 50km north of the city, on a sheep farm that my Dad managed. There were 75 kids in the school and 9 in my year group. I had to go to weekly boarding school, here in Napier, for my high-school years from the age of 12. (more…)

Karyn Wills

Karyn is a teacher, writer and solo mother to three sons. She lives in the sunny wine region of Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand in the city of Napier.

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