Challenges of fours seasons

In Finland kids play outside despite of weather

Summer

Dressing kids is easy summer time. (I love summers!) I can send kids outside without spending half an hour dressing them (or assuming that at the age of 3 and 5 years they do it all by themselves). 

Fall

Now challenges start. The kids need middle season overalls. If the ones that they used last spring are too small, it is time to do some shopping. The best options are waterproof overalls. However, for muddy and rainy days the kids need mud pants and a rain coats also. For cool days they need fleece or wool layers under their overalls (they can use the same once during the winter). To keep their feet warm Gore-Tex shoes are the best choice. They also need rubber boots for muddy days. And we should not forget water-proof mittens. And mud mittens to play with mud (which they love to do). They must have a beanie “pipo”, which is made of cotton. In addition to all these out-door clothes the kids need better clothes also: jackets, shoes, mittens etc.

Winter

Our kids have two different kinds of overalls for winter season, because winter seems to be more wet now days than it used to be. The kids have thick winter overalls, which they use when the temperature is below zero degrees centigrade. Unfortunately temperature is often above zero and the kids get wet playing out-door. My kids have also other overalls which are warm, but are made of rubber below the waist line (Lassie Suprafill). Gore-Tex boots are again the best ones, but they need to be also warm and not slippery. I haven’t found a pair of boots that would have all of these qualities, which means that the kids need several pairs of boots. When it comes to warm and not slippery shoes, Kuoma winter boots are our favorite. When the temperature is below zero, the kids use fleece or wool layers underneath their overalls. Mittens and beanies need to be warm as well. I prefer waterproof mittens also during winter. And again, in addition to all these out-door clothes the kids need better clothes also: jackets, shoes, mittens etc.

Spring

Yes! Spring will be here soon. It is time to switch to the middle season overalls. But with sunglasses they look much cooler! The weather improves every week and soon I can search for our kids sweatsuites that they often use when outside. Soon the rubber boots and Gore-Tex shoes can be replaced with sneakers. 

The Finnish maternity package

The new Finnish maternity package has been published -- like every spring!

When I was expecting my first child I couldn't wait to get our maternity package by mail. I had to wait for certain weeks (154 days) to be full so that I would get a certificate from the maternity clinic to apply for it. It was exciting to open the package and look though the items: snowsuit, socks, bodysuites etc.

You can have the package every time when you are expecting or you can choose to take the money (140 euros) instead. (If you expect twins, you get three "packages", if you expect triples you get six "packages"  > you can take choose to take money instead of any package.)  Most Finnish mother choose the package especially when they are expecting their first ones. The value of the package is much more than 140 euros.

I decided to take the package also when I was expecting our second child. The main reason was that I knew that we were having a boy and the colors of that package suited well for a boy (even though, they are often unisex). (And there is that certain excitement related to the package... The amount of 140 euros would not replace that...)

How about the cardboard box - did we use it as a bed for the baby? Yes, we did. When expecting our first child, my husband I build a stand for the box. We did it together from the beginning to the end. I sewed a lining for the box. It turned out beautiful -- or what do you think? Now it is serving as a shelf for my daughter's toys. And the boxes... they are used to store things.

Here you can look what the new Finnish maternity package 2015 looks like:
http://www.kela.fi/aitiyspakkaus

More information about Finnish maternity package in English:¨¨
Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22751415