How the world really look like (according to my kids!)

My parents came to help out this week as Jochem is spending most of January abroad and I had to go to Stockholm.
- Holidaytime, Nils said to his teacher at school!
You wonder what kind of working camp he lives in usually? Well, he had short days at school (no after school activities) and this week they had a sports day at school and all went skiing. My parents cleaned, cooked, washed an enormous amount of clothes, brought the girls to their activities etc. To me it is clear that Nils might have had a holiday but they went on a working camp. I am so grateful for their help!!

The winter is keeping its grip on Ulricehamn and the other day we lost power again. In Sweden many of our power cables are still above earth and heavy weather or heavy snow breaks them now and then. I am getting used to finding a torch and candles, changing fuses and getting the fireplace started. I don’t remember ever having a powercut while living in the Netherlands but here it seams, as one should always be prepared. I guess it’s a phenomenon one has to get used to on the countryside. Luckily the problem was fixed within a few hours but with –15 C. outside it cools down quickly inside.

Ulricehamn was filled with 900 competing cross-country skiers yesterday but we did not notice too much of it. Instead we headed off to Jönköping to watch the Disney musical “High School Musical” with Idol winner Kevin as Troy. The girls loved it but Nils told me there should be an age limit for boys. No boys under 10 should have to endure this type of torture. Sometimes I wonder how a boy who grows up in a family where we are constantly listening to music, dance, sing, love musicals, corny romantic films, baking and cooking can be so against all of this. Jochem can’t help laughing at my raised eyebrows every time my lovely son comes with a gender stereotype comment, which needs immediate reaction (not saying that High school musical is an emancipated story by any means). As we live in one of the least emancipated municipalities in Sweden (according to a survey made by SVT) I have to make sure he gets a wide perspective from home but then again; how does your kids really view the world?

When we lived in the Netherlands Elsa (who was 6 at the time) had a project at school called the Star project. It was a project aimed to strengthen the children’s self-esteem and to be better at acknowledging other peoples strengths. All children wrote down what their parents were good at. When I came to school I saw a big picture made by Elsa saying;
- My dad is a star at IT! My mum is a star at drinking coffee!
Gender mainstreaming has a long way to go but at least one boy stated that his dad was a star at making canned soup!

Time for a coffee!!