In the winter, I pondered: what do I suppose to do during hot Emirati summer? Maybe there is a place where moms with children are welcome? Perhaps there is a place where children’s screaming sounds organically like frogs in a pond and don’t bother anyone? Perhaps there is some sort of training for moms with children, or at least dancing for a few days? Google kept silence. And I thought about the injustice of this world. If only there was a place not only to go with your baby, but to spend time with use as well! Why is a mother always left behind, overlooked? No one but a mother will understand a mother. But can a mom do everything, and even more? Hehe, I thought, and created the Hawaiian conference. Let’s start with Slavske, not that far from Hawaii anyway – the main thing is to get the correct name.
The idea of mother’s gathering was getting formed for a long time and was transformed several times. What kind of moms will they be? What will be their interests? Will they want something beyond their beloved kitchen and diapers? Yes, because otherwise I will be bored. Scretch your itch, – said the baby telepathically, and he is so rarely wise.
I want about diapers, and about life without them (environmental solutions), and about a million things besides them, – I decided, and invited all interested mothers with children under the age of two to fill in the application form, and the lot fell out to ten different mothers with similar views on motherhood. I decided to build an event based on mutual benefit: each participant had to offer to share their unique experience and knowledge with others.
Natalia Bakun chose to inspire the participants by training on defining goals in life, held a discussion about the business stories of the participants themselves, told about time planning. Iryna Sheleviy told how not to be afraid to start a new business or to change the sphere of activity sharply. Anna Horyn shared how it is – to do without a maternity leave at all (in Ukraine maternity leave equals 3 years). Olena Kulias has refreshed serious discussions with unobtrusive games for children and adults. Oksana Olyva held a creative masterclass for making a traditional Ukrainian doll-motanka, as the craftsmanship is relaxing and inspiring. Sofia Mykhailetska spoke about the psychological aspect – the survival of a working mother, feelings of guilt, etc. Marta Kaminska had a discussion about traveling with toddlers, as with toddlers, it has to be re-adapted. Yulia Zhovtanetska told about environmental alternatives to the non-environmental things we are so used to, – a habit is good only when it’s a good habit. I tried to carry out a collective SWOT analysis for the idea of business of each of the participants, but the attempt was so overgrown with discussions that it has been stretched for ages) Great, great ideas for business! I also talked about how to publish a book in Ukraine. No event would do without a spoonful of tar, and at the last moment Julia Herman was unable to join the gathering because of her daughter’s illness, but she did not leave us, and shared online how to create FOPs and ways to bring finances from abroad in freelance, and she has also donated her camera)
The last day of the program we didn’t manage to stick to the plan, but clearly didn’t grieve for that: even the Lord rested on the seventh day. However, the last day’s program still had a creative branding task: to create a real or fictitious (futuristic, utopian or ulterior) business idea, to think through a logo and concept. Patent it all, girls, because teleport is not such a distant future)
Being used to being alone with my baby almost all the time, I was curious: will we all be able to make it stylish, youthful, emancipated? Not quite) Someone is being sad without a family on their birthday, someone is frightened to see how their own baby gives everyone hard times, someone just can’t imagine their life without a family. But who said that a mom who wants self-fulfillment should sacrifice her family or confront it? Yesterday’s thought. Is the family not a port, not a fort? Isn’t it a mom, even being so self-sufficient, who needs elementary love? And to me, who is used to be mostly without a family, it was so joyful to have girls around me whom I could about my baby”s broken lip and share fantasies about the future – oh, that sense of presence!
Is it easy with children? No, it’s not easy – whether you’re at home or at Hawaiian conference. But when on the seventh day it’s so clearly outlined how they are not seated in the four walls, why do you think they should sit in them, mothers? Go ahead, to the wide world!
It’s great to be among people who understand your problems and needs, it’s cool to be inspired by each other’s examples, it’s cool to feel the wings of opportunity stretching behind your shoulders. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but today I did this And even the grasshopper changed profession.
And what did you do today?
To be continued.
