Where can i find Simple play area indoor at Espoo

[Mook]

Yeah, now I really wonder what do all the 100 000 mothers of two-year olds in Helsinki do?

They take them to the park twice a day, or they take them to daycare which takes them to the park twice a day.

Often mothers end up in groups (cliques?) and go to the park at the same times eveyr day.

[raamv]

Dear all my "helpers" here posted in this partucular post .. iam really happy and glad to see peple share their feelings and just to remind the topic was about indoor park details no commenting on parenthod how to kind of tutorial. On my part i have 3 out door parks surrounding our home and sello mall just 2 blocks away. I never see any parents coming to spend in the park "Daily" except the day care and preschool kids just opp our home. Its hard to believe in HKi mothers take kids 2 times daily out . well , they might be lucky to move. I too dont have a car to move every place i can. I have to depend on my feet and buses,trains to communicate with others. As per my knowledge Kids get bored and sometime parents too get bored of playing themselves at home. Especially i feel bored trying to entertain them every hour and then. My 2 children play themselves but they want new environment to enjoy . This weather is really completely new to me and my kids as well. So far in our life we managed to stay in average climatic regions or even hotter regions llike Muscat but not with snow. I love snow i used to wait when i can see snow . But my kids are getting sick for an hour or more of playtime out door. They are asking me to get home. at home they are not so happy with crayons , craft making etc kind. They want more than playing at home. My son has no complaint cause he goes to preschool but my daughter is upset of being all alone at home missing brother and i cant be long outdoor with this chilling temperatures. Just to entertain my 2 year old daughter i asked to kknow if any indoor parks exist. Problem in helsinki is communication with others. I cant go and ask some passing by people about park .. Friends i have 4 neighbors but none of them speak to me as i dont know finnish and they are not fluent in English .Hope to find a best friend to hang out together & Explore finland with our kids during weekdays.I love this finland forum .. it has been so informative and soothing to see others replies which tells there are people who can talk online atleast. Thanks a lot for sharing all your knowledge , experience and feelings. Hyvä päivä .

You need to then check your "winter " clothing for you and your kids...
Generally, winter clothing here has many layers of clothes ( For kids : 2-3 layers of normal clothes with optional Woolen overall for really chilly times ( -10 and below) and a winter overall on top that is breathable, water proof and wind proof). Its very important to dress kids properly before you take them you here during winter ...Maybe thats why they are complaining..and plus they need time to get used to doing activities in winter..
if you take your kids in the tram ( 3T), you can see the most of Helsinki in an hour.. plus a tram ride and metro ride is fun for kids and parents with prams.
Similarly bus rides re fun too.. Plus kids are free at museums, libraries..etc..
Generally, kids play outside for an hour or so even during cold temps. ( right dress ) and have 1-3 hpur naps during afternoon and then 1-2 hours play at evening..so time just flies..Generally, most kids/daycare/parents have a routine of taking kids after breakfast and after nap..so it also depends on what kind of routine you maintain wrt other parents and daycare kids..in parks etc..

[Pursuivant]

The last two winters for me in Hki were two of the lowest times of my life and that is not a healthy environment for a child to be raised in.

I was raised in Helsinki, albeit in the "burbs" - my nephew was raised in the "inner city" - my sisters were raised in the "inner city" a.k.a. Kallio... where my parents were raised up... so basically what did we grow up as? Not whining nippleburning Americans Come say hello I miss your attitude.

[Pursuivant]

Often mothers end up in groups (cliques?) and go to the park at the same times eveyr day.

*heck* I had to take my nieces to the sandbox for an outing to give my sis a chance to gossip with the old crowes...

[EP]

Its hard to believe in HKi mothers take kids 2 times daily out

Well, they do. Otherwise they get a lecture in neuvola.

[Pursuivant]

This weather is really completely new to me and my kids as well.

You ever see a pram outside a shop or on a balcony? With -10? You know there is a baby inside sleeping.

[Pursuivant]

Generally, winter clothing here has many layers of clothes ( For kids : 2-3 layers of normal clothes with optional Woolen overall for really chilly times ( -10 and below) and a winter overall on top that is breathable, water proof and wind proof). Its very important to dress kids properly before you take them you here during winter ..

Oh but winter is easy - now then the spring/autumn when you need to have the "kurahaalarit" when it is raining every day. Then you can't have too much under and not too little... the mid-season is the worst I think. And the "kurahaalarit" also cost a fortune and always get too small..

[RA]

Hopefully the OP got some answers.

I thought I'd just keep me mouth shut, but no.. here goes.

I really do think that children are actually satisfied with much less and much simpler forms of entertainment than we might realize. And before anyone gets all hot and bothered, I'm not lashing out at anyone's parenting style. Cory's example of letting children play around with flour is excellent (thanks for the tip!).

Sometimes I think that as adults we may tend to deflect our own disappointments, negative experiences, laziness, incompetencie and dissatisfaction or whatever you wantomacallit to mean that out kids are dissatisfied when that isn't really the case. Take an example, the other day I look outside and it's snowing I'm really not in the mood to go out and dressing up my kid gets us both hot and bothered, yes- putting on all those clothes is a chore and by the time I get myself dressed and her dressed we'll be so hot and it's freezing outside. But then, most likely if we do make the decision to go out anyway, despite the chore, we end up having a great time. If I make the choice not to go out and romp about in the snow with my kid or meet other people, we'll just sit indoors then right? And that's okay. Then comes the statement... but I'm bored inside, and my kid's bored too. However, if we decide to stay indoors, it isn't my daughter's decision now is it? Nor is it the weather's. It's really all about the fact that I don't want to go out, isn't it?

I think this is really about decisions and choices, our own decisions and choices. If you choose to be unhappy, you're going to be unhappy and the people around you including children will most likely be unhappy. Surround yourself with unhappy people, you're definetly gonna have a crummy time.

Scubagirl - congrats for moving yourself to somewhere where you feel happier and where your daughter is ultimately happier.

I don't think though that it's fair to say that we're all a bunch of unhappy moms and kids here- that's how it just sounded from some of the posts in this thread. I love it where I am and my kid loves it too, I couldn't stand living in the capital so I moved- and that was way before I had a child btw, so nothing to do with this topic. We play and sing and read together, we spend time outside- We'll go out once or twice or even three times a day, alone or with friends. We also go to museums, children's concerts, libraries, visit places. My daughter also goes to daycare- has since she was a bit over 1 and she loves it. She goes to ballet once a week and we have English club twice a month. She's only three. And I think that that is plenty of activity for her and she's a pretty happy healthy child if I may say so. Yes, I do sincerely believe it's all down to choices and our own decisions.

[Pursuivant]

I grew up here and lived here - and this whining regarding Helsinki is too much - supposedly we're used to it all, being called uncivilized and everything, quite unlike the Americans who are brought up with all the stimuli as toddlers, we are not brought up to take constructive criticizm. Pernod Ricard co. thanks for your contribution for the increased sales of Jameson in Finland.

[ScubaGirl]

The last two winters for me in Hki were two of the lowest times of my life and that is not a healthy environment for a child to be raised in.

I was raised in Helsinki, albeit in the "burbs" - my nephew was raised in the "inner city" - my sisters were raised in the "inner city" a.k.a. Kallio... where my parents were raised up... so basically what did we grow up as? Not whining nippleburning Americans Come say hello I miss your attitude.

LOL, I didn't mean that being raised in HELSINKI was not a healthy environment for children. Read it again (though I can see how ppl could mistake what was written). What I meant (and was trying to say) was that having a mom who is battling depression (or as I put it, "lowest times in my life") was not a healthy environment for a child to be raised in. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Clearly, you turned out just fine

The depression was a direct result from life as a single mom in Finland. This winter in Chicago has been really great on the other hand. We're busy all the time with activities and have made a lot of friends already. We just now came home from the petting zoo where my daughter got to feed the pigs, goats & sheep and tonight we'll be going to the library for their evening storytime session & puppet theater.

I do find myself missing certain things about Finland though, especially my friends. It's still early though, so I know as time goes by I'll be missing a lot more. I'll most likely be back in the summer to finish the move. I'll try to time the visit so I can go to a pub quiz and kick your ass

[Pursuivant]

The depression was a direct result from life as a single mom in Finland. This winter in Chicago has been really great on the other hand. We're busy all the time with activities and have made a lot of friends already.

Ah, so in other words, nevermind the kids - keep the moms entertained Just like when they have those "park your husband" places at fashion malls.

[Pursuivant]

What I meant (and was trying to say) was that having a mom who is battling depression (or as I put it, "lowest times in my life") was not a healthy environment for a child to be raised in.

Heck, we weren't even dating, and thats about the lowest my ex's say thy've gone

[ScubaGirl]

Scubagirl - congrats for moving yourself to somewhere where you feel happier and where your daughter is ultimately happier.

I don't think though that it's fair to say that we're all a bunch of unhappy moms and kids here- that's how it just sounded from some of the posts in this thread. I love it where I am and my kid loves it too, I couldn't stand living in the capital so I moved- and that was way before I had a child btw, so nothing to do with this topic. We play and sing and read together, we spend time outside- We'll go out once or twice or even three times a day, alone or with friends. We also go to museums, children's concerts, libraries, visit places. My daughter also goes to daycare- has since she was a bit over 1 and she loves it. She goes to ballet once a week and we have English club twice a month. She's only three. And I think that that is plenty of activity for her and she's a pretty happy healthy child if I may say so. Yes, I do sincerely believe it's all down to choices and our own decisions.

I really tried to choose my words carefully as not to offend ppl, but I guess it didn't work . I didn't say ALL moms are unhappy. I'm only talking about the moms I knew. And not ALL of them were unhappy either, which I wrote. HOWEVER, several of them (the moms I'd chat with in my neighborhood as well as some of my friends who were moms) DID share these same feelings with me (frustration at the lack of things for kids to do in winter, feelings of depression until summer comes, etc...). The winter depression isn't unique to just parents either. That's very common amongst many people in Finland, let's not pretend that it's not (though it never affected me personally until I had my daughter)

I also had a couple friends who were VERY happily raising children in Finland, but their whole situation was entirely different from mine. They either had a car, or a big house/apartment (mine was only 50 sq meters), a yard/garden, a daycare they were happy with, etc.... all of which makes life a bit easier. I have those things now (haven't sent her to daycare yet though), but I could never have afforded a car or a spacious apartment in Hki. Now I have a big field and a beautiful lake just a few meters from my back door, but I still live only a 2 minute drive from civilization (best of both worlds scenario, if you ask me). I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I was originally just trying to sympathize with the op and offer a suggestion on an indoor play area that I knew of in Hakaniemi. As with many other threads though, it turned into something else (but hey, that's how conversations go)

[RA]

No offense taken Scubagirl- at least on my part. It's just the way the message came across and yep you can never control a thread . Yes, winter depression happens and I'm not saying that I don't get down at some points but on the whole, it still comes down to - it's either me or you whose feeling down and finding it difficult to cope with the winter, not our kids. It sounds like you've got a whole new start there in Chicago and you're happier, so your daughter's happier too. And that's really, really great.

If we take this back to the activities in the winter issue, I think it all really depends on what you're looking for, for yourself and your child. I'm all the way in the 'boondocks' of Kuopio so to speak and I don't think we suffer at all from a 'lack of activity' even in the winter, and when I think of all the services and places to go to in the capital area in comparison to what we have here, I'm still a bit sceptical about the 'lack of activity' mentioned here.

There's been so many posts on FF about all the parks, baby cinemas, playgroups, playdates, meet-ups etc mostly in the capital area that I'm a bit surprised really. And this isn't just limited to the children either. Some people have come on to FF and talked about how lonely they are or how bored they are and most have been advised on how to meet new people, some people have even offered to have a cup of coffee with them, show 'em around, told where to go etc. If people choose not to take that advice or take someone on who has reached out, that's really their own perogative and there's only so much the posters here can do about it.

I don't think the finding activities to do it has anything to do with the size of home or having a car either. Well ... having a barbecue in the backyard may be a non-reality if you don't have a backyard- but there's loads of places in Finland where you can go out and roast a sausage over a fire... in both the winter and the summer, plus you don't need to have your own backyard to go build a snowman. I also, for one, envy everyone in the capital area for the public transport services available there- you get to travel for free if you have your child in a stroller- until that child is three! Plus there are buses, trains etc to get you mostly everywhere. I'd never bother owning a car if I lived in the capital area. Even now the only reason I drive is that it's the only way I can get to work 65 km away - there's no bus or train that goes where I go.

[Pursuivant]

I'm jus settling for the "foreigner = stupid whine" disregard anything they say as they always whine...
No use changing anything as the whining foreigners usally leave, so if you change anything there is nobody left who whined.
This is Finland. we have been and shall be. Foreigners come, whine and leave, no need to change.