Today in the category Mother of the Week interview with Ksenia Ilyanovich, author of the blog " Motherhood is a joy." Ksenia is an amazing mother, she combines planning, systematic approach and unpredictability, even adventurism in an incredible way. Ksenia will tell us about herself, her project and what brings her joy in life.
Blogs Moms (Anya): Ksenia, very glad that you have become the heroine of our column "Mom of the Week", happy to get to know you better! For starters, tell a bit about itself, all, want.
Ksenia: Hello! My name is Ksenia Ilyanovich, I was born and grew up in the Novosibirsk region, but for several years I live in Moscow with my husband and son, he, by the way, recently turned 4 years old. I have time to work full - time in the office, work with my son and write about our games in the blog "Motherhood is a joy." In General, my blog is about how busy moms have time to spend quality time with children, and do not forget about yourself. Short article writing in your Instagram every day — @mamarada_info.
Ksenia Pasha
Anja: Recently on our site was published your guest post 8 of frequent misconceptions about early development child, that speaks for itself — you to this topic clearly not indifferent. 🙂
Ksenia: Yes, I have evolved from an enthusiastic admirer to a cautious supporter of early development. When Pashka was 3 months old, we started reading by Doman's method. At this time, I just discovered the world of early development, read a lot of books (including Doman himself), articles, listened to a webinar, read blogs enthusiastic moms.
In the decree I had time to come up with themed weeks, tinkering with different toys and benefits, even sew toys from felt. 🙂
Decoration from felt
Pasha has been able to read since he was a year old and does not remember the time when he could not read. Let me make a reservation: I consider early development as an opportunity to enrich the environment of the child and give more reasons for interesting pastime. We only do what we both like. I do not seek to raise a genius and do not compare my child with other children. More on the topic of comparison, I wrote in the article " Comparison-the mother of violence."
Pasha reads
Anya: In your blog you write about how to become a happy mother, how to keep up a lot, how to use all sorts of life hacks. And tell me, do you think, in fact, a mother can do a lot from the beginning? In my experience, I have the impression that with the first child we enter into the role of a mother for a long time, devote ourselves to motherhood, and only after many months, and sometimes years, learn to combine motherhood with other tasks and interests. Tell us how you see it, what is your experience and the experience of those moms who learn from you.
Ksenia: You know, recently I read a beautiful image of the American classic” Little women " by Louise Oscott, and then the continuation of “Good wives”. The book was written in the 19th century, and the problems of women in connection with the new role of mother — all the same as now.
Almost every young mother gets into a situation when the role of mother overrides all the others, for herself and her husband do not have time, there is a feeling of fatigue, “Groundhog day,” etc. I passed through it, but fortunately, quickly recovered, and were able to restore order and to set priorities in your life.
I always recommend in such situations to start with yourself, learn how to maintain yourself in a resource state: sleep, rest during sleep, find inspiring goals, understand what energizes and gives strength. Most often, the reason for " failure” in the banal fatigue, the desire to do everything perfectly and only the most.
Xenia with her son
Anya: Xenia, interesting, you first began to use Clever materials to practice with his son, and then we began to cooperate with them, or Vice versa? A Good impact on your life?
Ksenia: I learned about the Clever girl a few years ago, as a company that adapted Doman's methodology to the Russian language and now produces ready-made kits for classes. My very first set — Reading from the cradle — according to it, we worked with Pasha reading. Then I bought a " Primer from the cradle "(now called "Talking from the cradle") - a manual for the development of speech and maintenance of reading skills," The world in the palm of your hand " — bright colorful pictures, postcards, grouped by different topics, and more.
Me and Pasha really like their kits, I think we have at least half of the entire range of Clever. 🙂 In the beginning of the year I plucked up the courage and wrote in a Clever proposal to hold a seminar where I will share the experience of Reading from the cradle, tell me what games I used to maintain interest in reading about self-made materials and show examples of the video where Pasha reads.
After a successful "live" seminar in Moscow, I was offered to hold a webinar for all clients of Umnitsa in Russia. I gladly agreed. I remember coming to the first webinar in my life and asking how many people were registered. "600 people" - in this moment I felt, as their fingertips sweated. “But don't you worry, is usually of 20-30 percent”. As a result, the conversion was even higher — 167 people came (more than a third). Thanks to this webinar I got the first subscribers and the desire to move on and develop the project. By the way, you can see it on my blog in the "Free"section.
Later, I re-recorded this webinar, "the experience of a mother reading a child," and it became part of a paid course Clever about early development.
I am very grateful to the company Clever, we continue to cooperate mutually. My webinars on the official channel Clever in YouTube — one of the most viewed (1st and 3rd place in the number of views), at the end of November, I will again conduct a webinar on their site. I must say that all the employees with whom I crossed paths, very nice and intelligent people, I really am very pleased to be a client and partner of Clever.
Anya: Your son recently turned 4 years old, tell us a little about him, what he likes to do, what activities he prefers.
Ksenia: Pashka is an amazing child. Probably, every mother thinks so about her baby. He loves cats and hedgehogs, but most of all traffic lights and lanterns. There had been a time when he had sat on a chair and watched the lights go on, the lights go on, the traffic lights go on. Of course, all commented aloud. 🙂
Ksenia and Pasha
Recently mastered the running bike, and now we walk only with him. On Sundays, we go to the gym with the whole family, my son likes to jump on the trampoline most of all. After a trip to Montenegro, Pasha heard the English speech and now floods me with questions:”What will be in English...".
Somehow managed to learn the account to hundred in several languages, my sister taught Italian, the husband-English and Spanish, from somewhere else French was tightened. And I only know English... Do not plan to do, but since Pasha is clearly interested, and he quickly grasps the essence the same numerals — so I'll think of something.
He likes to sing, now our favorite songs are "Little Christmas tree”and "Merry wind". Sometimes it can be found reading, more often for the plot-role-playing game in cars, elevators, underground Parking, traffic lights — it is clearly traced craving for inanimate nature. And, in games uses everything: my yoga Mat-garage, books-as the Elevator, my leg - as a barrier, etc.
The most favorite toys are bottle caps, cards from trips to the subway, etc.the Son knows how to come up with a million options for how to play with them. Pasha pleases me every day with his verbal pearls, my favorite: "Mom, this is a traffic light for people, not for mom!”.
He demands respect for himself and does not accept other options. If I raise my voice, or if there's a hint of irritation in it, we'll be stuck for half an hour. But if you ask him very politely to watch their tone of voice, it is likely to comply with my request. Sometimes I have the feeling that he studied the negotiations on some more advanced courses than I was. 🙂
Every night I thank the world for having Pashka. He is my inspiration and inexhaustible source of joy.
Anya: Sometimes in your blog you write about books you read with your child. Name, please, a few children's books that have become a discovery for you and your baby (old or new).
Ksenia: I love children's books! It's the only passion I have that I don't count money for. Therefore, we have a lot of books at home, I am happy to follow all the novelties and successful reissues of the classics. I have on site there are many collections of, more just I like a selection of books with answer on question :" and why at all children to read books?»
Of the most favorite have Pasha's:
A series of "Once upon a time Seryozha" Oksana Stasi. In my opinion, the best book about the daily life of kids, written by a competent psychologist. All the children of the friends I gave it to like it.
John. Donaldson "Gruffalo" - a funny story in verse about a cunning little mouse. I know it by heart and can even sing it. 🙂
Familiar young mothers I always give a collection of "Apples-heels" Anastasia Orlova. Her poems remind classic Russian nursery rhymes, also made of wood for the development of speech, but they are more modern, and at the same time so warm and cozy. My favorite nursery rhymes.
Our latest hit: "Christmas Tree, cat and New year" - large format, touching illustrations, Christmas story with a happy ending-what else do you need? 🙂
Anya: and your top 5 books for moms?
Ksenia: I rarely read books on self-development and education, I prefer seminars, webinars or articles. The fact is that there are not many books after reading I can not retell in 2-3 pages. And I'm sorry for the wasted time. Tell me why 100 pages to explain the benefit of the exercise of morning pages (from the book "the artist's Way" Julia Cameron)? The whole point can be stated in a few paragraphs. And so almost everywhere. But, nevertheless, there are a few non-fiction books for moms that I even reread and recommend to everyone:
"Secret support. Attachment in the life of a child " by Lyudmila Petranovskaya. It helped me structure my thoughts about parenting and my relationship with my child. I see it as a strategic vision, not a solution to specific problems, but a system of principles by which decisions are made in each individual case. I already reread this book (before the crisis of three years), and again saw for myself something new and inspiring.
"Communicate with the child. How?"Julia Gippenreiter. Classics of the genre. Unlike Petranovskoj, simultaneously gives tools for everyday communication. I've read it twice.
"The health of the child and the common sense of his relatives" Eugene Komarovsky. I'm so glad I have her colleagues advised, and that I had such classical wrapped the child, who is afraid of the cold floor and drafts.
Now Pasha yogurt drink straight from the fridge, sitting on the floor, walking barefoot, takes no "peplomycin", rare SARS are treated with fluids and walks, all vaccinations according to the calendar, plus regular flu shots for the whole family. Everything that concerns the health and care of the newborn, Komarovsky beautifully and humorously described. The only thing I do not really like Komarovsky's approach to education, so I take everything that relates directly to health.
Let's of fiction you recommend something from the last read?
Louise Alcott's "Little women" and its sequels, which I have already mentioned. Very good and positive book about the life of a poor family with 4 sisters.
"The thirteenth tale" - a novel in the style of Agatha Christie, it is impossible to break away.
"Three apples fell from the sky" Narine Abgaryan. The Saga of the Highlander generation.
Anya: Your blog is about three years old. How did it all start? Who helped and is helping in technical matters? Had to learn a new specialty, or you from the beginning were on you with blogging?
Ksenia: The first blog entry I did in the phone, one hand supporting the sleeping Pashka. It was my way out of Groundhog day. The very first blog was on the blog platform.ru and more like a diary: where we were, what Pasha learned in a month. In a few months I moved to a more convenient platform Blogspot and the second blog existed for three years.
In April, I changed the platform again, because I decided to approach blogging more professionally. My current blog is on WordPress. In blagovesta I was an absolute zero, but gradually she learned to deal with the site. I read the relevant articles, engaged in setting up.
I remember how terrified I was of html coding. When I first tried to insert the banner of the Maze, took about an hour. 🙂 But already capable to create pages that broadcast there live from YouTube, add comments with social services. now my site developer Natalia helps me with technical issues with the site (set up a new plugin, install a certificate, create a subdomain).
Anya: how did you meet your husband? Tell a little about your unusual wedding to our readers.
Ksenia: my husband and I met at school, but not at an ordinary school, but at a Specialized Research Center at Novosibirsk State University (physics School), where the winners of Olympiads in mathematics, physics, chemistry and children with outstanding mathematical abilities get.
We were in the 10th and 11th grades of the school program of the first year of NSU mehmat. At the same time, it was a boarding school — we were like students and lived in a special hostel. That's where I met my future husband 14 years ago, and we've been together ever since. We studied together at fmsh, then at NSU, and then decided to get married. We both do not like traditional Russian weddings, so we chose the hooligan option: flew to the US for 2 weeks and got married in Las Vegas.
Wedding in Las Vegas
We honestly told our parents we were getting married in America, but I think they thought we were kidding. Preparing for the wedding 2 days before it begins deserves a separate article (as we were looking for a chapel, bought me a little black dress, chose rings the night before the wedding, or accidentally the best photographer had time just for our wedding).
Wedding collage
It was the most memorable day. We quietly woke up at 9 am, cleaned up in half an hour and went to the limousine to the wedding chapel. The ceremony itself was held in English and took about 6 minutes. After that we had two or three hours of fantastic photo shoot with unusual and very beautiful photos. Time to rest in the afternoon, and in the evening-rides on the roof of the Stratosphere (at an altitude of 300 meters), dinner in a restaurant for two and the right to lose a hundred dollars in the casino.
Anya: what Hobbies do you have? Are you fond of needlework?
Ksenia: I love to read, if given 2-3 minutes of free time — open the reader on the phone. In the decree began to sew from felt: educational book, toys for Pasha, Christmas toys for the Christmas tree. My favorite hobby is traveling.
DIY Xenia
Anna: And sport what kind of relationship?
Ksenia: at school I was professionally engaged in badminton, after at University I was engaged very sporadically, now I did not play for a long time. But with 1.5 years Pasha I started running in the mornings. The first time I had only 10 minutes. And through two-three months — 3-4 kilometers has become the norm.
In the spring of this year, I challenged myself and signed up for the Moscow marathon at a distance of 10 km. When filling out the questionnaire, I thought about the question: "how much do you run 10 km on average?". An honest answer would be: "I have never been able to run 10 km, so far my record is 5 km, and my strength is running out." But I wrote "70 minutes" 🙂