by Astrid Warren (Norway) | Feb 8, 2011 | Child Care, Culture, Family, International, Motherhood, Norway, Parenting
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 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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by Karyn Wills | Feb 2, 2011 | Birthing, Family, Health, International, Motherhood, New Zealand
One of the things which link mothers from around the world and between generations, is our birth stories. We all have them, and often they are really good yarns.
I’ve given birth three times. The last two births were horrible, long and ended in emergency c-sections, but the first is a story I like to tell. I often wonder if anyone else, these days, has had the same experience…
We were on holiday, the baby wasn’t due for three weeks, so we figured we had at least a week up our sleeves before we became parents. We intended to head home the following day, and to use the following week for our final preparations.
Apart from the huge lump I was carrying around, I wasn’t consciously thinking of the birth. I think I was probably blocking all thoughts of pain, and besides, it was my first baby – all adventure and new beginnings. The hard bits were theory – not yet reality.
(more…)
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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by World Moms Blog | Jan 30, 2011 | International, Motherhood, New Zealand, Norway, Parenting, USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary
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 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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by Astrid Warren (Norway) | Jan 26, 2011 | Culture, Family, International, Motherhood, Norway, Parenting, Working Mother
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 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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by World Moms Blog | Jan 23, 2011 | Canada, Family, International, Motherhood, Norway, Parenting, Tara B., USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary
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 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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by Shaula Bellour (Indonesia) | Jan 18, 2011 | East Timor, Family Travel, Holiday, International, Motherhood, Oceania, Parenting, Shaula Bellour, Travel
Last week we returned from a wonderful holiday in Australia. After many months of island life we couldn’t wait to experience the delicious food, plentiful shopping, fun family activities and spend time with dear friends.
Immersed in exciting Lonely Planet listings, I didn’t give much thought to the re-entry process. Australia doesn’t feel far away (the Dili-Darwin flight is only an hour), but I found it really interesting to watch our family re-adapt to developed-country living.
It’s all about perspective. (more…)
Shaula Bellour grew up in Redmond, Washington. She now lives in Jakarta, Indonesia with her British husband and 9-year old boy/girl twins. She has degrees in International Relations and Gender and Development and works as a consultant for the UN and non-governmental organizations.
Shaula has lived and worked in the US, France, England, Kenya, Eritrea, Kosovo, Lebanon and Timor-Leste. She began writing for World Moms Network in 2010. She plans to eventually find her way back to the Pacific Northwest one day, but until then she’s enjoying living in the big wide world with her family.
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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.
