Meet Me

If you enter my home on a random Tuesday afternoon, you will probably find one of two things: my girls completely engrossed in their building blocks, or the kind of energetic chaos that makes you want to lock yourself in the bathroom for five minutes just to breathe.

Hi! I’m Victoria, a mom to three beautiful girlies, an Early Years ESL teacher (English as a second language), and a Nigerian navigating the beautiful, structured, but sometimes overwhelming life here in Germany. Raising three active kids far from home comes with its challenges, but doing it inside a typical small German apartment? That is a whole different level of logistics.

When we first moved into a flat, I realized quickly that we didn’t have enough room to create a dedicated play space, have permanent Montessori shelves or setup water tables in the summer. Worse yet, I realized that if my kids jumped around too loud on a rainy day, we risked disturbing the neighbours downstairs, and Germans take their ‘ruhetag’ very seriously.

Then I tried the internet’s advice and I looked at elaborate, sensory bins and craft ideas and realized very quickly that kind of lifestyle, was not sustainable for me, especially when my everyday routine with three kids is already so full and I don’t have the luxury of leaving an invitation to play out all week, because dinner is in an hour and that dining table has another job.

So over the years, I’ve become very good at making something out of almost nothing. I guess my small apartment space forced me to get creative, plus I stopped letting it limit how I entertain my kids. Instead, I learned how to look at our regular household environment differently, and work with it:

• When it’s a rainy German afternoon, we claim the dining table.

• When we need to jump around but keep things quiet for the neighbors, I pile all the cushions on the bedroom floor.

• When it’s want water play time, I use my regular kitchen and bathroom bowls right on the balcony.

• When it’s paint day, I roll up the rugs, spread old newspapers or an oil mat, and let my kids create.

That is why I created 3craftmama. Around here, we survive on simple, realistic ideas that fit into real life as a tired Expat mom trying to raise kids far from home. Because navigating motherhood without your village is no child’s play.
I want other Expat parents like myself to know that you don’t need a massive backyard/living room or a luxury budget, to raise creative, busy kids. Sometimes, all you need is something quick and reliable to anchor the afternoon.

Please make yourself comfortable, have a look around, and let’s find something for the children to do before they start climbing the furniture again.