Category: Umi Briefs

Today’s newsletter is for expectant mums. I am going to be brief.If it’s your first time, you are probably feeling very overwhelmed. A lot of things would probably feel strange to you at this point. And even if you have done this before, it’s possible that certain aspects of this still feel strange to you.…

This was the basis of my question to you on Saturday and I thought to expatiate on that.The African story told a lot is that of a continent so dejected that it always needs a saviour. That’s one of the prominent things about us. And it is not entirely wrong. In fact, we play to…

A few things to noteOne thing to ask yourselfAre you playing a victim or seeing an opportunity?I realise that we live in a precarious time. The tides are turning and a lot of us are not getting the good side of it. However, there is always an opportunity in every situation. If you are in…

I am going to offend you with this newsletter. Because frankly, some of the things I will be encouraging you to do today are things that I am still struggling with. And I only have one kid at the moment. So, I will understand if you who have more than one feel like punching me.I…

We talk a lot about the need for connection and community in your journey through life. Especially as parents. However, my interaction with some parents in the last couple of weeks revealed reasons certain people can boldly say they do not have anyone.One reason that is so profound is that a lot of friendship are…

One thing that I hear a lot from parents, especially when something hurtful happens is “I can’t let my kids see me like this. I need to shake it up and get to my job as parent.” While it is noble for a parent to want to shield children from pain, hurt and sadness, it…

Supporting mums in Africa and diaspora with information, connection, and community needed to care for themselves and their little ones. I feel like we all have our versions of sabotaging ourselves in our lives. There’s that point in time in your life where you have either procrastinated responding to an opportunity because you didn’t feel…

Supporting mums in Africa and diaspora with information, connection, and community needed to care for themselves and their little ones. One of the things that I have concerned myself with lately is teaching my kids to have integrity-especially, with their words.I remember growing up, my Dad would always say that “people are their words.” And…

Love is so important for kids. It’s a great foundation that parents can set for their kids to boost their self esteem and show them beautiful examples. Love is an intentional move. An investment into the future. And a very important one to make for the kids.While I was single, one of the things that…

This is the perfect time for you to pick up whatever goal you had in the beginning of the year, and start over again. A few things to noteOne thing we want to knowWhat’s new in your life?It’s the 8th month in the year. Eight signifies new beginnings. This is the perfect time for you…

Whether you choose to breastfeed directly or pump exclusively for your kids to get it does not exactly matter. As the global breastfeeding week wraps up, I thought it was a good time to appreciate all the wonderful mums here who have become ‘milk making machines’ for their kids. The amount of work you are…

All you can do is your best. You are never going to be a perfect parent, especially in the eyes of people who are already scrutinising you. There. I said it. You are not going to be a perfect mum. You are not going to do everything right. Nor should you want to be perfect…

A child that is well loved and who is aware of it will most likely be bold to try out anything. One thing that I hope you are doing is trying to raise a kid who is not a people pleaser. That means raising a kid who is confident in themselves, and in their achievements…

The more aware I am of death, the more intentional I try to live. Not necessarily for me. But for my child. Every culture that I know in Africa has a celebration or some form of meaning that is attached to death. When someone dies, it’s usually a time to reflect on their place in…

Supporting mums in Africa and diaspora with information, connection, and community needed to care for themselves and their little ones. I have been thinking a lot about building resilience in kids. I mean, how do we show love to these creatures that came from inside of us without necessarily making everything better for them. I…

If you have the right friend(s), they constantly watch for your interest. Because they know who you are at your core. This week, I am reflecting on ‘Friendship’ and what it means to me. As I have always encouraged, everyone needs a “village”, especially mums. Humans are not designed to function alone. We are totally…

Outside of me being a wife, a mother, your role at work, a daughter to your parents and all, who are you? A few things to note…One thing to think aboutWho are you outside of your roles?One of the questions that I have had to ask myself this week is, “Who am I outside of…

How about we decide this summer break, to expose our kids to education beyond what’s been taught in school. How about we teach them more about our family values Summer break is here and it is always bitter sweet for parents. While I look forward to having my kid around a little more, I am…

You don’t have to be throwing babies off windows or any of those deadly stuffs before you accept that you need help. I saw a news headline last week of a woman who threw her baby out of her window immediately she had her. She’s been arrested and prosecuted. And I saw a lot of…

The way we function is by relying on a host of friends, colleagues, good spouses, family members and caregivers to help us pick up the slack at different areas. I saw a video recently of Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo answering questions on whether women can have it all, and it got me thinking. From her…