Single Mother in Ubud

I am not sure about life in other cities in Bali.  But as a single mother I received much support from the Ubud community.

First and foremost, the childcare is cheap.  I paid Eron's baby sitter, Ketut USD10 for a full day care.  The care can sometimes last as long as 10 hours per day, depending on my activity for the day.

Ketut is a very loving and caring lady who always greet us with the biggest smile.  Her husband Made, our regular driver, is a humble and gentle man.  They have a two year old boy, Putu and a 6 months old baby, Kadek.

So the childcare part is taken care of......

If you have school age children, there are a few great kinder garden and schools to choose from.  Being a firm Steiner education believer, I do not think that I will be settling for anything less as I will be sending Eron to the Spring kinder garden, Pelangi or the Green School.  There is also a Steiner home school group that I would like to eventually look into.  (The group is closed temporary)

Food....

We all know that nutrition plays a key role in child development (and so does play).  Like I said in my previous blog, the food in Ubud is cheap yet good.  You do not have to worry about McDonald's or KFC, because so far we have not seen any fast food restaurant in Ubud.  You can eat great tasty nutritious food even with a budget.

For people who are gluten and dairy intolerant, do not worry. You will find that the staple diet of the Balinese is really mainly rice, vegetable and meat.  Ketut told me that because wheat flour is more expensive to get, the locals would just use rice flour for making their food.  People here also do not drink lots of cows milk. They use coconut milk instead for cooking and making drink.

If you are a vegetarian (although I do not advocate vegetarian diet for children, but many parents prefer to, it is totally very personal), you will find loads of vegetables and fruits to choose from at the markets (and restaurants).  Eat all the vegetables you want at a super affordable price.
Asa, the Pilates teacher at Ubud Pilates told me that she spends about USD40 a week for grocery for her family of four.  

Nature....

In Ubud you will get all the nature you are longing for. Rice field paddy might be just in front of your house, not to mention jungles and streams, crickets, frogs and gecko, mountains and rivers etc.  Not to forget about the great sunshine you get everyday, 365 days a year.

Toys.....

Sorry,  there is not really a store that you can buy toys from.  Children here play with rocks, water, grass and sticks.  They do not need expensive toys, because they make their own and have great fun playing with them.

For you, the parents....

Because childcare cost is so low, take the opportunity to do lots of yoga, Pilates, sound healing, Qi Gong, dance and many other retreat programs that are constantly running throughout the year at many locations in Ubud. You will be a loving parent if you spend time to love yourself and do things for your spiritual growth.

Perhaps I have covered a few important things on the list, I will add more here or on another post, stay tune. :)