Sassy Mama welcomes new Senior Editor, Beate Baldry, who talks about her parenting style, what she loves about Singapore, and how you actually pronounce her name

Hey everyone! I am excited to be here as Senior Editor of Sassy Mama Singapore. Some readers may recognise my name as I have been part of the editorial team for 3 years now and I have been a regular contributor since 2014. Together with the fab all-women team here at Sassy Mama, we look forward to bringing you more of all the good things that you have come to expect from us.

So, first things first, how do you actually pronounce your name?

I am so glad you asked! I have been called a lot of things in an attempt to say my name over the years. Roll call on the first day of school (and I have been to many around the world) was never a highlight! In fact even friends I know well sometimes struggle with the pronunciation — one friend who I had known for over 3 years actually turned to me after a few cocktails one evening and said “So how exactly do you say your name?”. She maintains she was joking. In any case, it’s pronounced “Bay-ah-ta”.

Tell us a little about yourself!

I have been in Singapore for over 10 years and have the frizzy hair to prove it. My husband and I came over from the UK with a few bags, a suit carrier and a laptop in search of sunshine all those years ago. We fell for all the green parks, and the fabulous mix of efficiency, culture and delicious food. I am a third culture kid being mostly British, but having spent most of my childhood in East Africa (Uganda and Kenya) before going to boarding school and later university in the UK.

….and your family?

I have two kids both born here in Singapore. My 8-year-old boy is into stop motion, Lego and cycling and my 5-year-old girl is into tennis, art and puppies. During lockdown my husband and I had to contend with a constant stream, of “Can we get a puppy?” all day, for weeks! Luck was on her side as we ended up adopting a Shitzu so this little rascal is the latest addition to the family – he is cute but a little crazy. He loves to bark at guests, birds, his food and he never met a traffic cone he didn’t like to pee on.

What are your favourite things to do in Singapore with the kids?

Ooh that’s a tricky one – how much time do we have to chat!? Singapore is such a fantastic place to bring up a family – there’s always something interesting to check out and even after 10 years here I am still excited to discover new playgrounds, new neighbourhoods, a new restaurant or a stretch of the green corridor that has escaped my notice. We love cycling all over town and during lockdown we discovered so many new paths along canals or back streets. We are big fans of the kid-friendly museums with all their fun interactive activities and a trip to the Science Centre still gets my kids excited. I like taking the kids on physical activities, so rock climbing is high up there on our list of fun, plus we are waiting for a good time to try out HydroDash and Wild Wild Wet.

What’s your parenting style?

People always ask me what it was like growing up in Africa and it was a great childhood – climbing trees, running barefoot, making dens. I want my kids to be able to experience a bit of that outdoorsy life and I am so grateful they can do that here in tropical Singapore. Navigating social media and everything that comes with kids growing up in the modern digital world is something I am working on! Every day is a mum-juggle. Some days I’m winning and other days I am wine-ing.

What do you do for you?

I like to swim, do yoga, or have a massage. I also love to cook (and photograph) healthy recipes (I’m part of the black bean brownie Insta brigade) and make my own probiotic yoghurt and sourdough bread. When we go out for a meal (dim sum being a fave) my kids always ask if I need to take pictures before they tuck into the food (yes they are Singaporean at heart!) and at home, my daughter often styles her food when she serves herself at family dinner (monkey see, monkey do!).

What can Sassy Mama readers expect down the road?

Sassy Mama has always been made up of enthusiastic and diverse women from all backgrounds and nationalities and we will continue to bring you all the info we know you love. From all the fun stuff to a range of expert advice and resources to help you with your parenting journey.

However, if we aren’t covering something you want to see, please do reach out on Facebook, Instagram or email me at [email protected]. We are constantly on the lookout for new stories on parenting experiences, and the next newsworthy opening in Singapore. That old adage, “It takes a village to raise a child” is close to our hearts at Team Sassy Mama. We hope our parenting site makes you feel part of that village, part of the Sassy Mama Tribe.