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Find Your Balance in Life’s Ebbs and Flows

This article is about time management and how to find a balance in your daily schedule. In addition to splitting my time between a PhD and a job, I’m also a mom of two young kids. Using my time effectively is very important. During my time as coordinator of this blog (2018-2020), I came up with the idea for this blog post, which I’ve since been writing in my head. If it’s not obvious by my first point (since it’s 2023 and the post is finally being published), it’s safe to say that I still struggle with time management. I do not profess to be an expert, but I do think and talk a lot about this topic. I’ve learned the importance of viewing time management as a fluid concept that adjusts with the ebb and flow of daily activities.

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How to Identify Your Family’s Unhelpful Patterns

Communication between mom and daughter

Children often have their own unique ways in making connections with others. A child may express a certain need through behaviour to their parents, and it can be a challenge to read between the lines. Perhaps you have a similar experience, which is why I would love to share my story with Delft MaMa. In my practice as a Parent Coach, I help parents and children identify unhelpful patterns and find workable alternatives. I would like to warmly invite you on a journey in the form of a case that one mom shared with me.

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Confidence for the Win!

Win your confidence

Too often we focus on our mistakes or what could be done better. This is one of the reasons for low self-trust and confidence (especially amongst women). What we should be doing instead is seeing and celebrating the many many things we do well every single day!

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The Journey to Sustainable Eating

Our family recycles plastic, paper, bottles, and food waste. We don’t own a car. The house electricity is on 100% wind-power and we keep the temperature low enough that everyone needs to wear a sweater and put a blanket over their laps on the couch. Every year, I tackle another aspect of our family’s environmental footprint and this year is the time for food. Let’s talk about sustainable eating.

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Swimming Lessons in Delft: A refresher post

A hot topic on any school yard. When, where, how…waiting lists…. A challenge for any parent, but for our international DelftMaMa parents it must be a nightmare I can imagine. I’m Marjolijn, voluntary swimming instructor at swimming club d’ELFT and mother of 2 boys. Because I know how challenging living abroad can be, I am a member of DelftMaMa. Since I joined DelftMaMa, questions on swimming lessons came by on a regular basis and I replied multiple times; hence time to write it down in a blog.

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The not-so-merry-and-bright side of the holiday season: The holiday blues

As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to know that it’s alright if you’re not feeling the joy that you’re “supposed to”. Though the holidays are meant to be a time of joy, the pressures and emotions that come with trying to fulfill that expectation can sometimes have the opposite effect. Add to that the isolation of being an expat, parenting responsibilities, workplace demands, social obligations… This can quickly become a formula for the worst time of the year. Read on to see what you can do to help relieve those holiday blues.

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Legal Mom Column: Child Safety Online

Let’s face it—whilst being a supermom, there are some things that are completely out of our control. Child safety online is a constant worry for many parents. The Internet is the one place where a multitude of things can be hidden (from you) or given away to strangers by other people (including children!) who do not know any better.

In association with DelftMaMa, we have undertaken to deliver some practical tips and insights on what parents can do to protect their children online.

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Infant Communication via Baby Sign Language

Have you ever looked at your baby and thought, ‘I’m sure you can understand every word I’m saying’?

Tiny babies want to communicate with their parents. But for the first year they lack the means to speak with us, in their first months they physically aren’t ready to produce words yet. What happens when your baby wants to tell you something but cannot get their message across? They get frustrated, they cry and tantrum.

 Read on to find out how to improve communication with your baby.

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How to reduce, reuse and recycle in Delft

Afval. Rubbish. Garbage. Trash. Whatever you call it, it’s a dirty business and one that everyone is confronted with on a daily basis. But when you start a family, concerns you might have had about the volume of waste you generate may as well go out with the trash.  The decision to go forth and multiply seems to correlate to a mushrooming of “stuff”–much of it necessary, some of it not. Over time, many of these new acquisitions need to be disposed of. Toys, nappies, baby clothes: out they go!

The question is: does it have to be this way? With this post, I want to get to the bottom of recycling in Delft but also gather ideas on how we might reduce the amount of waste we, as parents, generate in the first place; how we might reuse the things we have in our possession and recycle those that we really don’t need any more.  Brain dump your waste-avoidance ideas in the comments section below!

by Julia Candy

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