Maija Olsbo (left), Eila Gullsten and Kaija Aaltonen build a puzzle. Martti Katainen, 2, breaks it down.
In Helsinki's Tapaninkylä, the mother of a little boy decided to ask for childcare help from the housing association. Now the neighbor's four grandmothers book 2-year-old Martti Katainen's babysitting shifts in minutes.
Rarely the child has as many grandmothers as a 2-year-old Martti Katainen.
He has six: two biological grandmothers and four neighbor grandmothers.
The neighbor's grandmothers came into Marti's life when his mother Minna Paavola asked in the housing company's Whatsapp group for care assistance from time to time. Martti was only three months old at the time. The family had no support networks in the capital region, as Martin's grandparents live in the provinces.
At first Paavola thought he didn't dare ask for help. To his surprise, four of the building company's seven other apartments signed up immediately: Marja-Liisa Malmi, Maija Olsbo, Eila Gullsten and Kaija Aaltonen said that they would be happy to take care of the child.
This is how “Marti's nursing circle” was born, where neighbors who call themselves the granny club take turns helping the family.
Kaija Aaltonen dresses Marti in overalls. Maija Olsbo (left) and Eila Gullsten monitor the situation.
Tapankylä the light brick semi-detached houses located are identical to each other. Martti still remembers where each of the grandmothers lives.
There is a yard in the middle of the small houses. That's where Martti can get to his heart's content today.
With his shovel, he digs small stones from the bucket, which fly in a small arc onto the path. The grandmothers cheer around while Martti sands with the usual grips.
Martin thinks sandblasting is nice. The grandmothers praise him as clever.
Maija Olsbo holds a sand bucket, from which Martti shovels pebbles onto the paths. Olsbo has lived in the semi-detached house since its completion in 1990.
Paavola says that at first he only asked his grandmothers for help during doctor's appointments or similar mandatory trips for parents.
Since then, he has realized that it is also important to take care of his own well-being. Therefore, Martti has sometimes been at the neighbor's grandma's house, for example when the parents have gone out for a party.
The threshold for asking for help was high, because in Paavola's opinion, Finland has a bit of a “take care of your children when you've got them yourself” mentality. It is different, for example, in Southern Europe or Asia, where the whole family may live under the same roof and children are raised by the whole village.
“We complain here when the birth rate is so low. But not many people dare to think about children when they are left alone with them,” says Marja-Liisa Malmi, a member of the grandma group.
The grandmothers thank Paavola for entrusting their children to their care.
“Martti is my first child, so I trusted you more than myself,” Paavola laughs.
Martti Katainen took a pear break during the interview vacation.
Indoors at home, Martti takes apart the puzzle as the grandmothers build it.
Martti is a charmer who doesn't need to be entertained by inventing things to do. He will figure it out himself.
According to the neighbors, the treatment arrangement is a “win-win situation” for everyone. In their opinion, the concept would also be suitable elsewhere, because in this way, families with children in need of help and lonely elderly people can meet.
In the circle of four grandmothers, no one is under pressure to take care of them for fear of leaving the family in trouble. There is always someone for whom the time is suitable – in fact, shifts are booked in minutes.
Maija Olsbo is said to be the fastest of the grandmothers. Eila Gullsten regrets that her phone is often on silent, so she doesn't always see messages quickly enough.
Martin's mother, Minna Paavola, says that sometimes one of the grandmothers might also try to book the next nursing shift if the offered shift goes sideways.
According to Minna Paavola, Martin's mother, the care arrangement is not about whether the parents themselves can manage with their child. The arrangement makes life and everyday life easier, for example, when a child gets sick in the middle of the kindergarten day and needs to be taken away. That's when grandmas come to the rescue. Marja-Liisa Malmi is also Martin's baptismal priest.
Marti and grandma have become important to each other. During Christmas, Eila Gullsten impatiently waited for Martti to come to her for treatment, so that they could decorate the Christmas tree together.
A few weeks ago, the grandmothers also got together to celebrate Marti's 2nd birthday.
Martti you get to do slightly different things with each grandma.
With Marja-Liisa Malmi, Martti builds with Legos, plays with small cars and goes to see what's in the fridge.
Martti plays the piano at Maija Olsbo's. Eila Gullsten says that she is waiting for Martti to grow up a bit so that they can go skiing together in Paloheina.
Kaija Aaltonen, on the other hand, spends a lot of time outside with Marti.
“Let's dig a hole and plant daffodils,” Aaltonen describes.
At first, he wondered how changing the diaper would go. However, he soon noticed that it is exactly the same as it was 40 years ago.
Martin's father Mikko Katainen bought his child skis from tori.fi for a few euros. Eila Gullsten hopes to be able to ski with Marti someday.
Community spirit can be seen in the Tapannikylä housing association in addition to the care ring, but also in other ways, says Minna Paavola.
If one of the neighbors says he needs help with snow work, for example, it's usually already done before he gets there himself. Everyone also wants to participate in talks.
A few days ago, brush handle heaters knitted by Maija Olsbo appeared on the handles of all the apartments.
Above all, Paavola says that he appreciates the help he received with childcare, which has been invaluable to the family.
“We moved to Tapaninkylä by lot, but we won the lottery.”
Marti has many safe and loving adults in her yard.
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