Leaving a growing career in the Philippines was not an easy decision for Angela Poulain, but she believed moving to London, where she’s lived for the past two years, promised an enriching experience for her and her husband Thomas—as well as the child they were expecting.
“We thought that moving to another country would be an enriching experience not only for us but for our soon to be born son,” she tells theAsianparent in an interview. “My life as a stay-at-home mom quickly started. In less than a month of arriving, I gave birth to my son, Theo.”
Angela, who’s a full time mom and startup entreprenuer, is well aware of the misconceptions about stay-at-home moms.
“Being a stay-at-home mom is not all easy. Personally, the biggest challenge is time. It’s funny how people think that when you become a full-time stay-at-home mom, you’ll have all the time in the world to do anything, when in fact it’s completely the opposite. Sure you have time, but you’re not really in control of it,” she explains. “You see, when it’s time for a nappy change, nursing or just pure crying fit, there’s nothing you can do but to throw whatever you’re doing and attend to your child. Not to forget, you still have a household to run.”
But even with the challenges of stay-at-home parenting, she still doesn’t lose sight of its best reward, which is to “see and be part of every inch of (her) son’s growing journey”.
And it’s this journey that she hopes to enrich even more through fostering his creativity.
photo courtesy of Angela Poulain
“Research shows benefits for kids as young as 9-months-old. Reading to kids widens their vocabulary compared to just hearing from the adults who speak to them. In effect, the amount of reading time we parents spend with them can have great impact on their language, intelligence, and eventually their literacy achievement,” she explained to theAsianparent.
Knowing this, and feeling the need to develop her son’s “creative skills and introducing technology thoughtfully” to him, she eventually gravitated toward learning app development. And so, My Little Adventurer was born. More than allowing kids to read better, the interactive app also provides enriching bonding experiences for the whole family.
“We want kids to grow up as engaged rather than passive readers. And because it’s interactive, parents are encouraged to take an active role in their children’s creative journey…”
My Little Adventurer is a reading app that lets your child be the hero of the story.
“Unlike other traditional reading apps, it lets you and your little ones decide how the story unfolds and ends. Your child’s creative thinking is unlocked when he/she faces a decision on how the story develops,” the innovative mom explains. “And because the story is unfolded by you and your child, reading itself becomes a personalized, interactive bonding adventure.”
photo: kickstarter
Wanting kids to grow up as engaged rather than passive readers, Angela created the interactive app driven by the desire that parents can be allowed to take on a more active role in nurturing their child’s creativity.
“And because reading is taken not as a task, it becomes a nurturing activity that draws parents and their children closer together,” continues Angela.
Check out more of our interview with Angela on the next page
Though most parents share Angela’s belief that fostering a child’s creative growth is an important part of raising them well, she believes parents encounter certain parenting pitfalls from time to time.
“I think parents usually fall into the trap of expecting their child to be a certain way. I think it’s important that we understand our child’s personality, developmental stage and surroundings and make the best decision around it,” urged Angela. “I’m a firm believer that creativity is fostered and not forced.”
“I’m a firm believer that creativity is fostered and not forced.”
This belief also drives her and her husband’s parenting style, which she describes as similarly relaxed.
“I can say that we (my husband and I) are generally relaxed parents. Although we have established routine for my son, we don’t make a fuss of breaking it when it’s needed,” she shared, adding that they both like the idea of raising their son in both the French and Filipino tradition, as well as the culture of the country they now call home.
“We would love our son to grow up as a diverse, kind hearted person,” shared Angela.
Living in London has truly delivered on its promise to provide Angela and her boys an enriching experience.
It’s also continuously empowering her as a mom and an entrepreneur. “We have been living in London for two years now. Not only is it a great place for businesses, it’s a wonderful location for moms too,” marveled Angela. “There are so many activities and child friendly places to go to.”
photo courtesy of Angela Poulain
London also provides great support for moms seeking to build a career.
“In fact, it is one of the few cities that offers Campus for Mums. It’s a baby-friendly program offered by Google Campus where moms can learn everything from business planning to UX design to raising venture capital. I’m very luck to be one of the 30 moms chosen for this round,” shared Angela.
It was through this program that she met like-minded women who have helped her along on her adventure.
“I met lots of influential women who have made huge impact in their various industries and are generous enough to impart their experiences to aspiring entrepreneur such as me,” she continued. “Being surrounded by these women, constantly reminds of my potential as a mother and as an entrepreneur.”
“Before you even start, get your family involved in the decision…”
As for stay-at-home moms itching to launch their own entrepreneurial adventures, Angela has this advice:
“Before you even start, get your family involved in the decision,” she began, crediting her husband for being a valuable source of help when she began this project. “During the early stage, my husband and I agreed that certain tasks at home will be handled by him. And regardless of how tired he was from work, he did it. He knew how important this is for me and how building this app makes me feel so he stayed committed to it. It didn’t matter how minimal the task was, his help around the house made a big difference. He gave me time, which was my scarce resource.”
Since its inception, My Little Adventurer’s crowdfunding campaign has raised more than a third of its goal. Currently, they are working closely with various organizations in London which are focused on helping children who finds reading a challenge.
Learn more about My Little Adventurer and Angela’s story through their website.
READ: 6 Best apps for babies, toddlers, and developing youngsters
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