Mom's life in Helsinki

There is actually plenty to do with a little child. Around the city there is about seventy so called play parks that is places with a big playground and a small building for playing inside. For some days or part of the day it works like a part-time day care and parents are not allowed to assist their kids. Also you have to register first like for a regular day care. But for some other days - usually two, three in a week parents are welcome and it works like an indoor playground. There are plenty of toys, there is a small kitchen so you can have coffee and some snacks, lunch for you little one. Those play parks have a long history, the first one was open around 1920 or something and they are very popular. There is also some family houses, that is places where you always come with your kid and there are just spots for moms and babies to chat and spend some time, usually indoors. The great thing about it is that all the information you can find in English on the official web page of the social services department. All the play parks are for free. There is another great thing in this city and it is quite new, so even the Finns are quite surprised. Namely there are some clubs for small kids which work like a part time day care and they are absolutely for free. Your baby can stay there no more than twice or three time a week and its only for 3 hours a day. But still. We pay for our private day care more than 200 euro a month and it is only twice a week. And of course there are many clubs for moms and their kids, which are open mornings and are not provided by the municipality only are private? or belongs to the community? I don't know. But they are for free too. So, generally there is plenty to do during rainy days. Last week we went to one play park called Seppa. Wanda discovered tricycles there and they made her day! We spend on that huge playground three hours. In the same place next afternoon was a multi-culti English speaking get together so we went there. Nice, but at the beginning everybody was shy and the atmosphere was a bit awkward. But the funny thing is I met there a family who lived in Princeton for many years and moved to Helsinki this summer! It was a very nice and warm feeling. We talked about were we delivered our babies, funny. Funny, for a moment I almost could smell the smell of Highland Park and Princeton, the air - so distinct from what is here. Anyway, another day I went to a small club in my neighborhood, but that was a Finnish place. Of course all the people spoke English, but they talked together in Finnish. So as you can see I do my best to start my new life here, to meet people, make friends and not to feel lonely and stacked at home.