From Frustration to Action: Why I Started This Blog

As a parent, sending your child off to daycare or preschool can be an emotional rollercoaster. For me, it was particularly difficult because I am a foreigner living in Finland and I had always been self-conscious about my Finnish language skills. I worried that I would not be able to communicate effectively with the daycare staff and other parents. However, as my child entered pre-school, I quickly realised that language was not the only barrier to feeling connected to the community.

I had always assumed that when my child started daycare and school, I would automatically gain access to a community of parents. I imagined myself chatting with other parents during drop-off and pick-up, sharing stories and advice, and maybe even forming lasting friendships. However, I soon found that this was not the case. Instead, I encountered many parents who only interacted with the carers on an individual basis. 

As a result, I felt isolated and frustrated, especially when it came to communicating with the daycare and understanding what was going on, and I began to wonder if there was something wrong with me or if I was doing something wrong. However, as I started talking to other parents, I realised that I was not alone in feeling lost and disconnected. Even parents who spoke perfect Finnish and had lived in Finland for years were struggling to connect with other parents and feel a sense of belonging within the school community.

During my child's time in daycare, I was fortunate enough to be part of a parents' group with five other active parents. Together, we were able to organise meetings, events, and increase communication with the daycare. I talked to a podcast about the challenges of our daycare and we even wrote a letter to the Helsinki City Education Division asking for support for our daycare.

Our parent group had been successful in bringing parents together, and we had even organised events and parties to help build a stronger sense of community. However, we believed that more needs to be done at a systemic level to ensure that all parents feel connected to their child's school and have a voice in the education system.

As a result, we have reached out to the Helsinki City Education Division to demand for support in having more parent involvement in the school and daycares in our area. There is an ongoing conversation and some promising outcomes such as the proposal to organise morning cafés for parents by the School Principal.

When my child started pre-school, however, things changed. The daycare's director made it clear that they would not be organising any parent groups or meetings. This was disappointing, but it also inspired me to reach out to parents in a different way and to start a blog. It was a natural follow-up to our meetings and conversations I’ve had with many parents and Education experts, as it allowed me to share information and reach out to other parents. 

One of my goals is to participate in creating a sense of community, for this we need to demand support from the Helsinki City Education Division for mandatory parent groups in all daycares and schools. I want to open up a discussion on the role of parents and families in schools, and to ensure that everyone has a voice.

I will be sharing articles about the current crisis in the Helsinki Education system and I’m hoping to find a platform for parents to share their thoughts and experiences.

Overall, I hope that my efforts will lead to a stronger sense of community and a more inclusive education system. As a parent, I believe that it's crucial for us to be involved in our children's education and to have a voice in how things are run. By coming together and demanding change, we can create a better future for our children and our community.