Hi Hi! I’m Liezl Janse van Rensburg. Married to my high school sweetheart, Aubrey. We got married in 2004, and all & all we’ve been together for 20 years. We’re the proud parents of two beautiful girls, Menique 13 years and Inѐl 9 years old. My husband and I both grew up in Kirkwood, a town in the Eastern Cape surrounded with hectares and hectares of citrus trees. We’re proud to call Kirkwood our home and consider ourselves very lucky to be able to raise our girls here. We love spending time together as a family, whether it’s playing a bit of backyard cricket, playing a board game, watching family movies or planning and prepping and cooking our meals together, O Yes and braaing, a firm family favorite of ours.
Apart from being a wife, working mom, passionate home cook and teacher at heart, I realized along my own life journey that I have a dream and that I want to follow that dream. I want to make a meaningful change in the world. (I know right, that sounds BIG) Well, I’m following my dream, where it’s going to take me, I don’t know, but can you imagine following your dreams, finding your passion in life at an early age? I envision a world where kids know and believe that there is a world of possibilities awaiting them and that they can make their own mark and a change in the world.
Our parenting food for thought:
Being a parent is THE most rewarding experience, but poses challenges all the time. You ask yourself many times and ponder on… Is this right way to go, the right advice I’m giving, am I too strict, should I let the reigns loosen a bit, should we not have done this rather than that, should I interfere or intervene or not? O my word! Look, we make tons of mistakes as parents and are far from perfect, but we learn so much from each other and from our girls every single day by being mindful. We need to take a step back sometimes and let our kids figure stuff out for themselves, which is hard for any parent to do. What we do know for a fact is that we want our girls to be healthy, happy, true to self, kind, respectful, resilient, confident, have a growth mindset partnered with a can-do attitude in life. We want them to be and become the best version of themselves as kids and to thrive as adults someday. I thought I’ll share a few in-house credos we live by in our home, and remind our girls of on a daily basis,
● Always be yourself.
● You’re unique, there’s only YOU.
● Respect yourself and respect others.
● Be kind to yourself and be kind to others.
● Treat others the way you want to be treated.
● Good manners go a very long way. Greet people, say please and thank you.
● Stand up for yourself respectfully and also for others who struggle to do so.
● Everything is “Figureoutable” (This one I borrowed from Marie Forleo)
No matter what life might throw your way, you have the ability to figure it out.
● Last, but not least. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” ~Philippians 4:13~