Spotlight on: Mariela, KindyROO Cyprus
This month we sat down with Mariela, our KindyROO Cyprus class teacher and franchisee. Dedicated to the KindyROO philosophy and a wonderful mum to her 2 year old son, Mariela is navigating motherhood and managing a successful, growing business that she’s passionate about – both physically and mentally demanding, full time jobs!
Based out of 10, Myrtiotissis, Germasogeia 4041, Limassol, Mariela has been running KindyROO classes for just over 6 months and has brought her warmth and knowledge to many new parents in Cyprus. We interviewed Mariela to get a taste of her life in Cyprus!
So, Mariela, First off, what’s it like being a mum in Limassol?
As with everything in life being a mum in Limassol, Cyprus has it’s good and it’s not as good sides! I love the weather, the island is famous for its abundant sunshine and the summer which lasts 6 months long. This really suits me and my family because we don’t like the cold, rainy weather. The only downside to this is that July and August tend to be extremely hot, so sometimes we need to spend more time inside than what I would prefer.
I get a little frustrated that I need to use our car to get to most places. Sometimes I just want to take my son in his pushchair and go to the nearest park by foot and enjoy the nature but I’ve tried it a couple of times, and it wasn’t the best idea! There wasn’t really enough pavements to easily do this with a stroller.
Apart from these little inconveniences, living in Limassol, which is on the beach, is incredible! Mums like me get the chance to enjoy the sand and sea and share this lovely, special place with our little ones. Cyprus life really is a lovely life- especially now that KindyROO is here!
Outside of KindyROO, what are some of your passions?
I have always been a person who loves to learn. I like learning new languages (I’m fluent in English, Greek, Bulgarian and almost fluent in Russian!), obtaining new skills all the time and broadening my horizons. KindyROO’s extensive ongoing training satisfies my thirst for new knowledge and information and ensures I provide parents with as much information about their child’s development as possible.
How did you become passionate in the field of early childhood development?
When I was pregnant with my son I started learning more about early childhood development, as most mums do. But my passion for development grew even bigger after the difficult birth of my son.
I had a very difficult delivery and the first couple of months of my son’s life were very hard to say the least. I don’t want to go into too many details, but my son spent almost a month in an incubator and doctors were worried that he might have sustained damage to his brain.
During this time, I realized that I needed to do my best to help him have a better life and I knew how to do it. Once we got home I started incorporating KindyROO activities in our day to day life. I started singing, dancing, massaging and playing with my son and the results were astonishing! Now, he is a happy, healthy and outgoing boy, who loves music and continues to meet all his neurological milestones on time.
Having been so close to losing my child – I know how important it is to appreciate every second you get to spend with them. Children are a precious gift and we need to make sure we provide them with what they need the most – our time and attention!
What do you enjoy most about KindyROO?
I have always liked teaching and I love singing and dancing. What is more, I have always been very good at seeing the potential and talent in others and helping them to develop it, so teaching KindyROO classes came quite naturally to me and I find it really fun!
I would have to say that the thing I enjoy most is being around mums, kids and babies! I love seeing mums and dads spending quality time with their little ones and seeing the happiness and enthusiasm in their eyes as they come to class, it brings me so much joy!
I love the fact that I have the absolute privilege of being a child’s second teacher (after their parents) and I make sure to build a secure and loving relationship between me and my young “students”. I am so proud to see them progress day by day, getting stronger, calmer, becoming more social and outgoing and learning to share and take turns. It is heartwarming to see a shy toddler transform into a confident child in a couple of months!
The program is wonderful – its diversity amazes me every single day. I love it!
“The most amazing class for babies/toddlers/children... and moms!! A wonderful, patient and loving instructor, very helpful overall programme for a child's development.” - Marina, KindyROO Limassol Parent
How you manage the crazy world of motherhood and running a successful business?
To be completely honest, the first couple of months were not easy. As every mum would know, I have had to learn how to balance my family life and my passion (I would not call it work).
People say I am a young entrepreneur – and that sounds great, but it is way more challenging then people can even imagine! In saying that, it’s been a very rewarding journey.
I have had to learn how to better structure my day so everything can go smoothly (although as most mums would know, that’s not always the case!). I have become more organized and started prioritizing my tasks. Also my loving husband, who is my biggest fan, has been a great support, which has meant everything to me.
I have found many advantages and positives of being a “mumtrepreneur”. The advantage of my business is that I’m at the same stage in life as my clients – I can empathise with them as I’m going through much of the same struggles as they are. This has made my interactions with them truly meaningful as we are able to share about our similar experiences and support each other.
What’s the best piece of parenting advice you’ve received?
It’s a bit of a cliché but one of the best pieces of advice I have been given is to follow my intuition and to listen to my child.
Motherhood is a blessing, but at times it can get really tough. Breastfeeding, weaning to solids, the tantrums and meltdowns, these are all parts of the colourful journey called parenthood. Parenthood is a journey and not a race. Staying present is key.
If I can give parents one honest piece of advice it would be this: treat your kids with respect and believe in their potential.
To find out more about Mariela’s classes, keep up with her on facebook or book a class here:
“Spotlight on” is a series in which we’ll be giving you an insight into the life of our KindyROO Europe Franchisees. Interested in franchising? Contact us here
KindyROO Presents At For Babies Expo Prague
“The brain has developed more complex connections because movement stimulates growth and connectivity of neuronal pathways” (Melillo & Leisman, 2004).
Saturday, October 18th, saw the 10th annual ‘For Babies’ Expo event at the PVA exhibition Centre, Prague. Jana Uher from our KindyROO Prague branch was able to present the lecture: “Why the First 1000 days are the most important in a child’s life”.
Along with the “For Babies” expo, the “For Toys” and “For Games” Expos also took place. This 4 day event saw a great turn out with hundreds of parents and their kids interested in seeing the newest products, services and trends in the world of products for babies, childrens’ furniture, fashion and hygiene.
KindyROO’s Jana was given the opportunity to speak to many new and expecting parents about early childhood development and introduced them to the concepts learnt within the KindyROO classroom.
Some highlights from Jana’s presentation include:
- Early brain development is the key to lifelong academic, emotional and social wellbeing
- We’re born with billions of brain cells and as we experience the word, these brain cells begin to interact and form brain connections
- Movement is the key to learning, but not just any movement: it needs to be appropriate for each stage of development, make use of natural movement patterns and build on previous levels of development
The biggest takeaway from Jana’s presentation was that you as a parent can and should be involved in your child’s development from day 1. KindyROO classes guide parents through the early years, helping teach parents about their baby’s development from birth. KindyROO classes specialise in age appropriate exercises, games, dances, massages which help children to meet developmental milestones and be ready to crawl, walk, socialise and prepare them for school (when the time comes!).