Belgian mum-of-two – soon to be three – Sarah Nelissen, (known on Instagram as @haaikie) talks to Nell Card about strict schedules, family de-cluttering and her fail-safe of vanilla ice-cream with whipped cream on top…
Sarah Nelissen (@haaikie) lives in Belgium with her husband Wouter and her two sons, Lux, four, and Julius, one. She is expecting her third baby in October. She works as an interim consultant and has an interest in fashion, photography and interiors.
Our mornings are … planned with surgical precision on weekdays. I work four days a week, so we have a strict schedule to get everybody to school/daycare/work on time. On weekends, it’s much more relaxed. Lux comes upstairs to our bedroom for some love and hugs. When our youngest son wakes up, we go into his room together to get him out of bed. The little rascal immediately starts to smile when he sees his big brother.
My kids mainly wear … good-quality clothes. That doesn’t mean that they always wear expensive brands, though. In fact, I discovered some of my favourite labels on Instagram: hihi, Nico Nico clothing, Carlota Barnabe and lötiekids. Lux and Julius both have a different style. I like “twinning”, but I also love to find pieces that fit their individual characters.
I cope with clutter by … agreeing on the amount of toys that it is reasonable to have in the house at any one time. We arrange the toys in separate boxes and places and, every once in a while, we decide with the kids what should stay and what should go.
I never leave the house without … my iPhone-charger and a bottle of diet Coke.
When they’re not looking I … eat chocolate they’re not supposed to eat. Although I think my children have a sixth sense when it comes to recognising the sound of the wrapper…
I encourage creativity by … allowing kids the freedom to explore their ideas and do what they want. We limit TV time and try to make room for creative activities such as learning to draw, reading and role-play.
I’ll never be able to part with … my grandmother’s delicate, floral china tea set. It’s not my style for everyday use, but it has a deep, emotional value for me.
If all else fails there we … always have vanilla ice-cream with whipped cream on top.
Follow Sarah – or haaikie – on Instagram: @haaikie
Would you like to be featured in our Families of Instagram series? Or perhaps you’d like to nominate someone else who takes beautiful photographs of family life? If so, leave a comment below with the Instagram name and we’ll have a gander…