A Day For Making Plans

It is a day for making plans and lists. I have decided that just now. When things are going wrong, the best thing to do is try make them better. 

For weeks now, life just hasn't been right. It is never going to be perfect, even through there are perfect days now and again. But lately it hasn't even been particularly good.

 

There are the small things, like the weather being miserable. Not proper Winter and not proper Spring. Snow falling but not sticking. The sun coming out but disappearing before we get our shoes on to go outside. I can't change that. No one can. 

Then there are the bigger things. The worse than usual fights and arguments between the children. The struggles between us and the children. Not just the ordinary ones, like having to ask five times before they put their shoes on. I mean the struggles where you as a parent come across as the bad guy ALL the time and there seems to no logical explanation. 

The sulking kids, the crying, whingeing, complaining and storming off. The door slamming. The "I hate you" s and "You don't even like me" s. The "I'm not eating that" and the "I won't do what you tell me. I am the boss of me". 

It is tiring and draining and hurtful. I know they don't mean it to be. But it gets to you, you know?. 

So today is a day for plans and lists. We're looking at what we need to change to be happy again. A list for each of us and a family list. I'm hoping that there will be some easy fixes and I know there will be some big things too. 

Number One is getting older and more independent. He needs to feel he can choose things for himself and we have to find ways to let him do that. We are not prepared to push out the boundaries as far as he wants us too but hopefully we can compromise.

Number Two has grown so much so quickly that we easily forget he is only five. We expect too much of him and that has to change too. He still needs us a lot. He needs individual attention and more focus on him and what he wants.

Number Three is galloping towards little boyhood at an astounding rate. A Christmas he was still a baby. A walking, climbing, babbling baby, but a baby nonetheless. Now, turning 18 months old next week, he is most definitely a toddler, demanding attention, shouting out words and taking only one nap a day. We have to adapt to his changing needs also.

So, wallowing in self-pity is banned and positive, life-changing plans are getting made. Will they work? Who knows. Is it worth a try? Yes.

The Toddler's Guide To Successful Toddlering

If you are reading this, you are probably between 10 and 36 months old and are doubting your potential to be a successful toddler. 

Let me guess? You see other toddlers throw themselves on the ground and behave as if the end of the world is nigh only to be scooped up moments later by a parent or minder and given the thing they want? You want that too but you haven't been able to achieve it? You parents are not driven entirely crazy by your behaviour but all your friends' parents are losing the plot?

Don't worry. You can do it too. By following these simple rules, you can reach your potential before it is too late. 

1. There is no phase: We've all heard the muttering between parents when their toddlers seem impossible to manage, "It is just a phase". Don't let them fool you. There is no phase. YOU are in charge. YOU have the power to decide whether or not you get what you want out of todderhood.

2. Learn from your mistakes: Your first attempt at a tantrum was scuppered by a know-it-all mother who fooled you into calming down? So what? Learn from your mistakes. Now that you know her tricks, you just have to repeat the performance and stick to your guns. She has been lulled into a false sense of security and believes the same tricks will work on you again. Oh no, think again lady! 

3. Repetition is key: Remember, tantrums are not your only weapon. Repetition of what parents consider unsuitable behaviour is a powerful tool. Climbing onto the kitchen table when no one is looking, emptying the cupboards of their contents, playing with the toilet brush - these are all examples of easy-to-perform activities which, if repeated often enough, will drive your parents to the levels of frustration you always hoped to achieve. 

4. Trust your instincts: Don't listen to the contant cries of "No" and "Don't do that!". Remember that you were born to be a toddler. It is a natural progression from babyhood. All that lying around in your pram wasn't a waste of time. It allowed you to gather information, to soak up the behaviour of the adults and children around you. It has allowed you to learn which buttons to push to get your way. Trust your instincts and go with what you feel. If you can get near a phone or tablet, disable it in some way. Your mind will guide you and let you know the exact combination of buttons to press to set it to a foreign language or turn the screen sideways. 

Following these guidelines will set you on the path to becoming the kind of toddler that other mothers gossip about. Goody two shoes pre-schoolers may even look to you for inspiration. But don't underestimate the amount of work involved. At first it may seem not to be worth it, but once you get a taste of getting your way, you won't regret having put in the effort. 

What Children See

This photo was taken in December 2010 when my then 28 month old son asked my why there was a picture of a man with a suitcase and a ball on the door of the baby changing room. 

The experience reminded me that in June 2002 I bought a book  called Ways of Seeing by John Berger. The topic of the book is not necessarily how children see the world, but it does eging with the point that one sees before one speaks. 

A child can see and reconise images long before he is ever able to describe what he has seen. Even once we can speak, we see the images around us before we open our mouths to comment on them.

The book goes on to discuss art, adverts and photographs and what message the images convey to us. It is a highly interesting read and I would recommend it if you are in any way interested in the subject. 

But back to the world through the eyes of a child. Since the episode with the man with the suitcase and the ball, there have been countless reminders of how different a child's view of things is to an adult's. 

Like this time, when the box we'd just received a parcel in became a fantastic plaything.

Or when Number Two came downstairs with the newborn insert from a car seat on his head and told me it was the hat of a soldier in the old days.

Or on the regular occasions when the sofa becomes a trampoline or a Viking ship.

Or when the bunk beds become pirate ship and my box of red candles gets confiscated as dynamite.

I showed Number One the top photo again recently and asked him what it was. "The sign for a baby changing room", he said, looking at me as if I had lost my mind. He's obviously growing up.

A Long Overdue Patchwork Quilt

I am a born hoarder. As I type I am wearing a skirt I bought in 1997. I am not stingy, I just have trouble parting with things I like. 

So it follows that I am not a natural de-clutterer. The January clear out bug has never hit me. That is until this year. It is probably because I am at home and I see the amount of, well stuff, for want of a better word, that is around the house. 

A few days ago I attacked my wardrobe. One big bin-bag got filled. Obiously a few older pieces survived. Next up was the guest room, which doubles as my hobby room. As I cleared and sorted and binned stuff, I came across one of my unfinished projects - a patchwork quilt.

This project has been around for three or four years. I am not quite sure why it didn't ever get finished but I am determinded to finish it, and soon.

Back when Number Two was still sleeping in a cot (he is now 5 1/2), I decided to sew him a quilt for when he would move into his own big boy bed. 

I thought up a colour scheme (greens and greys) and a theme (leaves) and I bought the fabric in Ikea. I even got as far as sewing all the patches together and got started on attaching the wadding and backing material. And there it ended. Why? Who knows.

In the meantime Number Two has not only moved from a cot to a bed but has moved from that bed to another bedroom and a set of bunk beds. The quilt no longer matches the colour scheme of his room.

Nevertheless I am determinded to finish this quilt. We'll find a place for it somewhere. Perhaps Number Three would like it given that he sleeps in Number Two's old room. It is more suited to the colour scheme there. And it is not really a hand-me-down if no-one has ever used it, is it?

Creating a Play Area For A Toddler

Number Three is a full blown toddler now. There is no denying it. He has been walking for six months and he is getting more and more independent with playing. 

When we got back from our post-Christmas holiday in Ireland, I realised it was time to re-arrange our play area so that he could have his own space. 

Up till now, what would normally be the dining room end of our long, narrow livingroom has been the boys' playroom. The floor was always littered with Lego, Playmobil and toy cars. With Number Three wandering round looking for something to play with, we couldn't go on with this situation.

Refreshed after the 12 day break from home, I got stuck into the playroom re-organisation last week and I am so pleased with the results. One week in, I can tell you that it is much easier to manage and to keep tidy. 

Basically, what I have done is fence the older boys in (I'll elaborate in a moment) and set up a toddler-friendly area separate from the big boys' realm.  

We have a fantastic room-divider that is like a massive stair gate. It is one of the best things I have bought since having Number Three (you can see the edge of it on the far left of the photo above). I've used it to cordon off half of the play area. The bookshelf and all teh toys with small pieces have been put in there. Number One and Number Two can go in and out of it as they please by opening the toddler-proof gate. Number Three can't get in, unless the gate is left open.  

But back to the toddler area itself. Back in 2010 I picked up a gorgeous red vintage bench, chair and matching red and white table at a flea market for the bargain price of €30. It was money wel spent, I can tell you. Number One and Number Two got a lot of use out of it and it has very few marks to show for it. This set has become the basis of Number Three's section of the playroom. 

Both the table and the bench have storage space built in, which makes tidying up really easy. The drawer of the table is shallow but wide and is the perfect place to keep crayons, pencils, paper and colouringbooks. 

The seat of the bench lefts up to reveal a surprisingly deep toy box. At the moment we have all the soft toys in there as well as some books. The older pair have grown out of the Punch and Judy puppets but Number Three collapses into fits of laughter as soon as I do a little bit of improv for him. 

When I was expecting Number Two in the very hot summer of 2010, I hand-sewed the navy gingham cushion for the bench. The car cushion covers were present for the boys a few years ago. If I remeber rightly, they are from the German chain Butlers. 

Of course, no room is my house is complete withouta salvaged chair and this playroom is no exception. The metal chair with the woven red seat is one of three I salvaged from our local kindergarten. They would otherwise have been dumped. I love the, literally, old school look of them and the chipped paint. Luckily there is no rust on them and the pain doesn't flake off, so there is no danger to Number Three.

The walls were already decorated with a large map of Germany and our Little Linguists' alphabet chart. The new furniture arrangement is low enough as not to block them out. All three children can access them.

There are, of course, too many toys to accommodate them all within the bench. This red basket holds all the bulky cars, trucks and Lego Duplo pieces. It is made of rubber rather than hard plastic, so it won't crack or break as it takes abuse from a boisterous toddler. 

I bought it in Aldi a year or two ago, attracted by the cute cloud-cutout pattern. Since them it has had various roles around the house - first as a toybox for Number Two them a basket for throws and blankets beside the sofa. I think it fits into its new home here in the play area very nicely. 

Overall I am really pleased with how the new arrangement has worked out. So far Number Three has spent a lot of time pottering about, discovering his toys and climbing on his new-to-him furniture. 

The way I've set things up, I can keep an eye on him from my desk, the sofa or while I iron. He can't get to the big boy toys and is happy with what he does have access to. So, so far, we are on to a winner. 

Compromising on Tradition, But Loving The Cookies

During the summer, I mentioned how the memories my children have of summer are so different to my own childhood memories. Today an article of mine was published on The Irish Times website. It looks at how The Bavarian and I have tried to bring the traditions we grew up with into our children's lives.

As with many aspects of marriage and family life, establishing traditions involves compromise. Whose family dinner was better and should be passed on? Should we start our own tradition as a family? In our case, the main difficulty I had was bringing in something Irish to the German traditions that surround us here and which The Bavarian grew up with.

You can read the article here but if you just want to cookie recipes, then click here.

The Dos and Don'ts of Bringing Children to a Christmas Market

Do:

Get them a mug of Kinderpunsch (hot, non-alcoholic punch)

Point out the twinkly fairy lights, the Christmas tree and any other light effects

Make sure they at least try some of the delicious, sweet and savoury food on offer

Let them go on the carousel

Bring them to see the crib

Make sure they see the handcrafts on display

Explain what they should do in case they get separated from you

Remember that their eyes are much lower down than yours. They may only see peoples bags, elbows and the backs of jackets

Expect a few grumpy moments after the initial awe

Don't:

Let them out of your sight for a moment

Say "we're not staying long", unless you really aren't

Promise what you can't deliver. Check in advance what events are on, what is on display, etc. before you go, if possible

Let them touch the items on display at the stall. It could end up costing you a lot.

Drink too much mulled wine

Thursday, 23nd November 2000

The following is an excerpt from the diary I kept while working as an au pair in Bavaria in 2000/01. As I read it, it struck me that it echos the way I occasionally feel with my own children now. 

L., the child I was looking after was seven then, the age of my eldest child now. 

This evening I totally freaked out with L. All day he had been irritating me. I'm still  not sure if he was being exceptionally bad or if I was just being particularly easily annoyed. As I was putting him to bed, I broke down in tears caused partly by him, by the frustration of work and the fact that I couldn't call up Laura. It hit me this evening how she and I used to vent our emotions at each other over a beer or a few glasses of red wine at 'El Catalan'. I couldn't hold in any more all the feelings that I had bottled up since she died - sadness and loss, homesickness after returning from Ireland, frustration from the au pair job and uncertainty about the future.

An old-fashioned selfie

I remember that evening so well, although it is fifteen years ago now. When I lose my temper with my own children, there is always that thought at the back of my mind - was it their behaviour or my frame of mind today that made me snap? 

Pitch In, Sign Up And Help Out - How To Volunteer When You Think You Don't Have The Time To

As a parent, I am a firm believer in doing your bit. Before complaining about that state of the school, the lack of activities in the community or how difficult it is to meet other families, I prefer to make a suggestion, volunteer or start an initiative. 

I'm shy and the phrase "we are looking for volunteers" scares me off as much as it does everyone else in the room. However, since having my children, I feel I have to fight that feeling and get involved in things for the greater good. If I want them to grow up in a close-knit community where people are friendly and helpful, where the school is well-equipped and where extra-curricular activities abound, then surely it is only right that I chip in and support that happening.

Some may say it is easy for me because I am at home at the moment; that I have time for these things. But the more I get involved in voluntary community work, the more I realise that it is mostly the busy people who volunteer. The working mums use their weekly day off to man the cake sale stand or accompany the kids on the school tour. The dads who aren't around for the kindergarten drop offs join the parents' council or lug furniture about in preparation for the annual open day. 

When I was one of those working parents, I did my fair share of pitching in. It was because it was so enjoyable and satisfying that, once I became temporary stay at home mother, I chose to do more. 

Knowing that you are helping a child get the attention they need to keep up with the class or that you are raising funds for playground improvements is a great feeling as a parent. Plus there are the benefits of getting to know more people in your community, meeting fellow parents and maybe having an off-the-record word with the teachers. For the sake of an hour here or there, there is a lot to be gained from volunteering your time.

Here's how to get that feeling:

1. Sign up to help at once-off events in your local area, whether it is baking a cake for the cake sale, helping out with the school sports' day or cleaning up after the open day.

2. If you've noticed an issue, whether at the creche, the school, the parish hall or the sports club, speak to whoever is in charge. Ask if there is anything that parents or the community in general can do to help the situation - from painting the walls to raising funds for improvements or extra staff, there is usually something that needs doing and can be done.

3. Get out of the habit of saying "someone should" or "x needs to be done". Be the someone. Do the thing. 

4. Think of how you want your children to be treated, the environment you want them to grow up in and the values you want them to learn. Wouldn't your example as a vounteer support all that?

5. Look at the amount of time you spend watching TV, having coffee, fiddling around with your phone and then ask yourself whether or not you could spare a hour now and again to improve the lives of those around you. 

Do't let being shy stop you. I didn't.

Stuck In The Middle With You

Number Two hasn't had it easy this past year or so. In September last year, within the space of a week, he got a new baby brother and saw his older brother head off to big school, leaving him behind in kindergarten. He has mostly put on a brave face, kept a stiff upper lip and just gotten on with being the middle child. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude for that. 

My many plans to take time out to spend just with him have seldom come to fruition. Either he wants his brothers to come along or the plans fall through because of a lack of someone to look after the other two. Recently some cracks are beginning to show in his brave facade and I have been feeling more and more guilty for not being able to make time for him. 

Being a middle child myself, I know exactly how he feels. He knows that I am busy with the other two (keeping the toddler out of harm's way and helping the schoolboy at his homework) and that I am not ignoring him. But constantly being told "Not now", "in a minute" and "I'll get to you as soon as I can" isn't good for him.

I hate to admit it but the wheel that squeaks the loudest gets the oil, and he doesn't squeak. He has kept turning reliably. Until now. So I've begun a maintenance program for him. 

The best I have been able to do is to squeeze in some time in the evenings, when Number Three is asleep and Number One is entertaining himself. Even if it has only been helping Number Two get ready for bed and listening to his ideas and stories from the day, I notice it has helped. He's happier in himself. He thrives on the attention. The more we use the few minutes we have, the more we seem to find little more time just for us. 

Another thing I've found is that telling him we are going to do an activity which he suggested or which revolves around him lifts his spirits a lot. Last week, for example, we went to the kindergarten latern-making afternoon. We had to bring Number Three with us, but he stayed strapped into the buggy beside us while Number Two and I cut and glued and chatted. 

Yesterday we went to football practice for the first time. Both his older and younger brother had to come along. But he was so pleased that he was the main man. Every so often he would look up from training to smile and wave to me and his brothers where we stood and watched. 

This afternoon we had a bit of quiet time while Number One was visiting a friend and Number Three played by our feet. We browsed the toy cataolgues and he started his Santa list. 

After bedtime, as I was halfway down the stairs, he called me to come back. As I peered round the doorway he blew me a kiss. I think we're slowly finding our way out of the middle. 

Skills I Have Learnt So Far As A Parent

Being a parent has taught me many things, from the basics of dressing a newborn to deep and meaningful stuff like the depth of a mother's love. But it is the oh so useful skills I have gathered  over the past seven and a bit years that I want to share with you today. 

1. Spot cleaning - I have become a bit of an expert at spot cleaning. Pre-children , before leaving the house, I used to have a quick look in the mirror to make sure I had no lipstick on my teeth. Now it is to check whether there are any dribbles or blobs on my face or clothes. My shoulders seem to be the best place in the house for children to wipe their runny noses on or burps up milk onto. A quick scrub with a facecloth is usually enough to let me pass as clean enough to leave the house.

2. Creating the illusion of being welldressed - I like to be well -dressed but with children, you can't always do it. With a bit of creativity though, you can pass as well dressed for short trips like the school run or the grocery shopping. The trick is covering up. A blazer, a scarf, stud earrings and knee-high boots over cleanish jeans is my go-to combo. It doesn't matter how grubby your top is or whether you have got odd socks on. To the passer by, you look like you've got a grip of things.

3. Recognising the poo face -  and, for that mattter, the wee wee dance. These are two incredibly important things to look out for in your child, especially once they are out of nappies and very especially if you are in the middle of doing the shopping. The staring, concentrated face of a small child who is avoiding eye contact and the jiggly, hoppy kind of movements of a boy who hates to dance send off alarm signals to me. We high tail it to the nearest loo before there are any accidents.

4. Listening and learning - I find that learning a little bit about Star Wars, Lego Ninjago or whatever my children are currently in to makes listening to their endless stories about it a little easier to bear.

5. Accepting - accepting that neither the house nor the car will be clean for another 15 years or so, accepting that children don't understand being quiet, accepting that meals out are rushed, accepting help, ...Accepting things makes life a little easier. Why try to change them? 

7 Things I Had Forgotten About Life With A Toddler

I am beginning to realise that there are quite a few things that I had either forgotten or possibly just suppressed about life with a toddler.

 The way you can't fill or empty the dishwasher with a toddler in the same room.

The stench of the dirty nappies of a teething child.

The way this happens as soon as you turn your back for more than 30 seconds.

The way toddlers have normal sleeping positions in their own bed but reserve their special perpendicular-to-parent, crucifix and windmill positions for the parental bed.

The number of times the floor needs sweeping per day.

The way that putting shoes on the small, bendy foot of a small, wriggly child is damn near impossible, especially when under time pressure.

The way that even the smallest amount of water will soak them to the skin, leave the floor needing mopping and make you very glad it wasn't juice, milk or coffee that they got their hands on.

Invisible Parenting

There are things no one sees me do. They are not secret. They are not hidden. Small things. Unimportant-seeming things. They go unnoticed. That is, unnoticed until they are not done. I think of them as invisible parenting.

They are things like:

Keeping an eye on minor ailments (rashes, itches, tummy pains) and changes in behaviour (wetting pants, tiredness) to see whether they are something or nothing.

Shaking the sand out of the children's shoes after they've been playing in the kindergarten sand pit.

Keeping the swimming things together in one bag and keeping that bag in the same place, always.

Picking up stray shoes, clothes, toys, spoons, jigsaw pieces from various places around the house and putting them back where they belong.

Subconsciously doing an inventory of the contents of the fridge and presses so that I know if we have milk, ketchup, yogurts, fruit or other snacks before they get asked for.

Knowing the nappy and wipe stock levels at any time but especially on Saturdays since on Sundays all shops here are closed.

Planning breakfast and packed lunches in my mind before I go to bed.

Putting away clothes for the holidays weeks before we go.

Checking schoolbags for spilt drinks, melted sweets or notes from teachers.

Checking the school and kindergarten lost & found baskets for missing gloves, scarves, PE shorts and odd socks.

Writing appointments into the kitchen calendar and turning the page each month.

I'm sure I am not the only mother to perform acts of invisible parenting. Do you? 

Multicultural Family Life - Meet the Walsh-Olesens

Because of the fact that we are a family made up of two nationalities, I am always interested to hear how other families in similar situations live their lives. And I thought you might be too. I managed to convince Amber Walsh Olesen to let us in on how her secrets to harmonious multicultural family life. 

Amber hails from Dublin and after living in the US, Portugal, Germany, Sweden and Denmark decided to make Connemara, County Galway her home. She lives there with her Danish husband and two young children. Great food, exploring new places, fresh air, and arts and crafts are what makes her tick.

1.  Tell us a little about your family's background - where you're from, where you've lived, where you are now.

I grew up in Dublin and met my husband, the Dane, when we were both studying at the University of Porto, Portugal. I worked in Stockholm after I graduated and then re-located to Copenhagen, where we lived for six years. We took the plunge and moved to Ireland just as the economy was taking a nose dive. After nine months in Dublin we moved to Connemara, where we’ve been for seven years (feels like less). We now have a little boy aged four and a little girl aged 1.

2. What languages are your children exposed to and how do you juggle these? Do you have a family language you speak at home or does each parent have one language they stick to?
Our children are exposed to English and Danish constantly. It’s never been any other way. I speak English all the time (I only speak Danish when I’m with Danish friends or family), and the Dane only speaks Danish. It’s very consistent, but it must seem very odd to others to hear me speak English and be answered by the Dane in Danish. It works because I understand and speak Danish, but sometimes I do long for a bit of adult conversation in English!

3. What have you noticed about your children's language skills? Have they picked up on both languages equally well?
Our son spoke quite late, but as soon as he began to speak his language skills improved rapidly – it was like flicking a switch. He is completely fluent in Danish now and often talks to the Dane in Danish without thinking about it. I’m jealous of his accent – it’s so authentic! At first he used to sometimes mix up the two languages, but that phase didn’t last very long. Sometimes he uses a Danish word when speaking English if he doesn’t know the English word, or vice versa, but I think he’s quite conscious that he’s doing this. Our son has a real love of Danish and I think it’s because it’s just what he’s been used to hearing right from day one, plus the Dane reads to him a lot (we are seriously good at translating kids books on the go!) and he watches Danish DVDs, hears Danish radio etc.

4. Your husband is Danish. The Danish are often said to be among the happiest nationalities in the world. Have you noticed this? What is it that makes the Danish so happy? Has this any effect on your family life?
Can’t say I’ve noticed it, although I find the Danes fairly laid back and jovial, which means they tend to gel well with the Irish. I know the latest studies link Danish happiness to DNA...I know nothing about DNA(!), but I think a certain amount of their supposed happiness has to do with the relatively high quality of life in Denmark – you know that childcare is of a fairly high quality, you know you can get about the place efficiently on public transport, you know you’re going to be looked after if you’re sick, you know you’ll be taken care of in old age. This certainty simplifies the logistics of life and lets people focus on other things.

5. How different, if at all, would your life be if you lived in Denmark rather than Ireland?
We’d definitely be living in Copenhagen if we were in Denmark, so city life would be a big change to where we live now. In Denmark, there is more support for parents working outside the home. The availability of high-quality childcare would be considerably better and the Dane could have availed of paternity leave – something he would have loved to have done. They have something called ‘barnets foerste sygedag’, where one parent gets the first day off if their child is sick, so small things like that would make life easier. Part-time work is quite accepted and available in Ireland, but not so much in Denmark, so I might be working full-time if we were in Denmark (I currently choose to work four days a week).

6. Have there been any child-rearing differences between you and your husband based on the mentality of your home countries?
I couldn’t help chuckling when I saw this question! Differences over creating a fenced-in play area for our children aside, I think we’re actually very much on the same page. Having lectured in Denmark, I think Danish students come across as quite confident and are well able to get their points of view across. On the other hand, Irish children are much better versed in saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and so on. A good mixture of both would be great, which I suppose is what we’re aspiring to in our multicultural home!

Thanks for sharing your family's story with us, Amber. It sounds like life has worked out well for you, despite the economic downturn just as you made the decision to return to Ireland. 

It is wonderful that your son has such a good grasp of and affinity for Danish. That must be a joy for The Dane and his family when you visit them in Denmark. Fingers crossed your daughter will pick the language up just as easily.

It is interesting to hear that part-time work is not as common in Denmark. Both parents working full time and trying to spend enough time with the children too can be a real challenge. By the sounds of it there would be upsides and downsides for you if you were to relocate to Denmark.

Best of luck with your multicultural family life. May you continue to nurture the best of both nationalities!

[Are you interested in joining the series? Contact me on the contact form on the right. I'd love to hear from you.]