Hi everybody!

My friend and I are going to start a website called Mamizeit-this site is primarily directed towards international mums living in Switzerland for any length of time and with children of all ages. The website will go online on february the 15th.

We seek people who are interested in writing about family life in Switzerland -Your parenting experiences- How is it to raise a family while your close ones are miles and miles away? Some of you also work full time-how do you jugle that as a mother or a father? (we welcom also male writers!!). We would also be very pleased if some of you would like to reccomend family trips, food, childrens health etc etc.


Last but not least-we have no money to offer-but you finally have a chance to show the world your writingsskills!!!

Have a wonderful evening!

Anne K

Count me in i think its a great idea

That's great-what "family life" subject would you prefer to write about?

Any interest in a Dad's perspective? Or is this just Mum's angle?

Cheers, Danis

Would be very interested in Dads perspective-are you interested? If so-What would you like to write about?

Have any of you noticed the blog area, you can warm up there.

http://www.englishforum.ch/blog.php

I have been living here for 10 years and have 2 children 1 girl nearly 7 and 1 boy 4 i can write about anything from living here away from family and friends or about child care eating habits illnesses (my children have had the lot you name it they have had it) you can let me know what you want me to write about and i will no problem.

Well, there are a number of aspects. I (Dad) was more or less solely reponsible for our son (who is now 6 and happily at school) from the age of just over 1 year until 4 1/2 years of age as my wife was studying far more than full-time. Fathers who actually take an active role in parenting small children seems to be a bit of a curiosity here. Everybody SAYS that they would welcome fathers who actually take a more active parenting role, but get uncomfortable when they actually see one... I got all sorts of reactions from Swiss ranging from "Jeez, your wife must be a real dragon to force you to take care of your kid" to "I distrust any male person around small children as they are all (at least latent) pa*dophiles." Also reactions of people in the trams, at the playground, etc. Things like people never daring to put their grubby hands on my son in the tram and my wife always complaining that old ladies kept patting our son in his pushchair when she was alone with him (because he was - and is - "soooooooo cute"). Maybe something to do with the fact that I'm 1.80 metres tall, athletic and tend to growl when people got too close to him? Maybe...

Little things like the fact that often nappy-changing facilities are in the ladies' restrooms. Great. So I either crash into the ladies restrooms and get beaten senseless by ladies who think I'm some sort of perv or change my sons' nappies in public and get beaten senseless by old ladies with umbrellas who think I'm some sort of wierdo...

I know all about the trials and tribulations of finding a place in a creche and the reaction of co-workers when you say you can't come to a meeting because you have to pick up your kid from kindergarten. If a female colleague says that, that's okay, but a man? That's... kind of... wierd... sort of ... ehm... unmanly.

I guess some of my observations would have a slightly cynical tone (I managed to keep my sense of humour, though... I hope). Nevertheless, I am and remain a 150% enthusiastic father and would not have done anything differently or wanted to miss out on the great experience of spending a great deal of time with my son and being there as he developed from a baby to a little boy to a not-so-little boy.

Oh yeah, and all kinds of ideas of things to do, places to go, tips and ideas on travelling with kids, cooking together with them (i.e. letting small kids participate in preparing meals, which can be so much fun), games out and about to help them learn numbers, etc.

And so on and so on...

Cheers, Danis

Good luck , I am journalist and one of my filed is Clinical Psychology my wife also studies Medicin, hope to find time to write for you,

Bests

I am interested to see whether, as many other sites do, the Mamizeit website as you submit your work takes "ownership" of your contribution and can market it as their own?

This certainly is not the case in the blogs on this site, of course

Good luck! My wife might like to contribute - we have a one year old daughter. We're also moving to Uetikon am See in March, so might see you around sometime!