You know that moment you meet someone and you just instantly hit it off and click? Well, that is exactly what happened when I met Tam. We met at a park, I was with Louie and she was with two twin boys she nanny’d who were the same age as Louie. We chatted for ages and then we parted ways. In the car, I remember thinking, “dang, that girl was SO cool, why didn’t I grab her number?!” Well, a couple of months went by and then we randomly crossed paths at another park- pure serendipity! Safe to say we exchanged numbers and, in fact, we caught up every Tuesday when she was nannying the boys.
We connected on another level because we raised our kids naturally and had the same opinions on worldly topics. I honestly think she was put into my life as a little angel. When I met her, I was freshly living in New Zealand, super isolated and lonely. I didn’t have any friends here, and I was dealing with my own personal struggles. Tam took me in with open arms and has been such an amazing friend to me. I am lucky to know her!
With that, please get to know my divine friend, and ultimate young mum, Tam!
Introduce yourself to The Wholesome Seed Audience
Hi! I’m Tam, a wife and mother to two busy children. My daughter is 12 and my son is 8 years old.
I had my first baby at 19 years old. I was a private nanny for 15 years and now work from home in beautiful Mangawhai, New Zealand. We have a few acres and enjoy growing our own fruit and vegetables along with our dog, two cats, a couple of cows and 12 hilarious chickens.
You started your journey into motherhood at a young age. What was your experience like as a young mum?
Although my pregnancy was a huge shock to my husband and me, we were determined to do the best for our daughter and give her a beautiful life. Pregnancy and birth were nothing like I had heard or imagined. I am one of the rare ones that absolutely loved pregnancy. It was an incredibly special time for me. We are very lucky to have an incredible support network around us.
What was the most difficult part about being a young mum?
First, the stares, looks and comments were really difficult. However, looking back, it strengthened me. I toughened up rather quickly and learned to block it out. I didn’t want any negativity to pass through to my baby, so made sure to not let it bother me. I had to remain confident in myself and knew that just because I was a young mum didn’t mean I was a bad mum!
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to raise my kids naturally. I guess you would call it “alternative” to the “normal” way, and I received a lot of judgement for it. But I did what felt right and natural to me as a mother! I wish back then I had a community of like-minded mamas!
Seeing as though I was a young mum, I lost friends as they were on a totally different life path to me. It was a hard change, but now I get to appreciate watching my friends have their babies. I get to enjoy them, help and then go home and get a full night’s sleep! I get to revel in all the fun bits now!
Your mother-in-law is a naturopath (Lucky you!). Has she influenced the way you raise and heal your kids with more of a holistic approach?
My mother-in-law has been my biggest inspiration for how I wanted to raise my children. She inspired me in so many ways in terms of organic natural food, natural products, aromatherapy and so many amazing tips and tricks!
She is also a trained osteopath, and we have had the privilege of being adjusted and having cranial work done since the kids were born. I wish it was something that was freely available to all new mums and bubs!
You grow your own veggies, raise your own meat, and have chickens. Have you always done this or what inspired you to do so? Do you have any tips for someone wanting to produce more of their own food?
We have always done this but once we moved to our own land we started doing it on a bigger scale. It was always our dream for us and it has been incredibly rewarding! I have learnt so much through trial and error over the years.
My advice to someone starting out is to just start small. The only way to learn is by doing, but just start! My son loves gardening, which is something he and I do together, and my daughter invested her own money in our chickens. She sells the eggs to our family and friends and is learning a lot through the process by looking after them and running a wee business of her own.
You have raised two beautiful children both inside and out. What’s your secret for raising wholesome, well-rounded children who are confident in who they are even at a young age?
I wish I knew the secret! I’m really just a normal mum, but I would say always trust your gut, back yourself, question things, and research! There’s no more important work you will do than raising your babies. This time is incredibly precious, and it really goes SO fast.
