For many, Mother’s Day is a special day to commemorate the bond between mothers and their children, rather than indulge in overly commercialised activities.
At least, that is the significance of Mother’s Day to the mother-daughter duo Rita and Natasha, and the team behind Grow Green, a venture that is more than just a business but a labour of love.
On this occasion, WhosWho.mt speaks to Rita Bartolo and Natasha Chetcuti about how Grow Green was established, the business of being an involved Nanna, and the power of creating a safe space that ‘prohibits’ technology.
Nestled in the fields that lead to Rabat, the Grow Green premises are a space in the fields for parents, guardians, and grandparents to attend with their toddlers for two-hour sessions full of unstructured play, where imagination runs wild whilst surrounded by nature.
But where did it all begin?
The duo tells WhosWho.mt that while Natasha takes care of bookings, marketing, social media and accounts, Rita is the creative behind the initiative.
Despite being both mothers, up until 2019, Rita had been working at a school, “specifically in a nurture group for social, emotional and behavioural students.”
Rita states that just before COVID-19 hit, she stopped working. “But at the age of 58 I wasn’t ready to be a pensioner just yet. So, I wanted the passion I have for children to be put to use while also being flexible with my time. But the establishment of Grow Green wasn’t exactly intentional,” she says.
Two years before the pandemic emerged, Natasha became a mother to her first child, her daughter – and subsequently Rita became a ‘proud nanna’ for the first time. In 2020, Natasha’s second child was born, a baby boy.
“Like many others, we did not want to stay inside but at the same time we didn’t have a lot of options. We had this area in the midst of nature, and I told my mum that we should utilise it and buy some toys so that my children could have a safe playing area,” Natasha recalls.
Rita, on the other hand, was quickly on board as nature for her represents an area of relaxation. Then, seeing how this area was ‘equipped’ for exploration and fun, Natasha and Rita decided to open the space to the public for other parents and guardians who wanted their children to learn skills whilst also having a good time.
“Going into it, our mindset was that even if no one showed up, we were still going to use the space for our children so our initial 'investment' wasn't going to be wasted. But it was well received,” she adds.
A 'dangeours' dinosaur at Grow Green / Facebook
‘Our theme is simplicity; Mud, vegetables, toy animals and natural resources’
Rita highlights that skills learnt during play are extremely crucial in the early years of children’s development.
She is highly passionate about children having the right skills. In particular, she emphasises preparing children for the future, even if it means starting from a very young age.
“We shouldn’t forget that these are the citizens of tomorrow. Now, we’re seeing how rapidly the workforce is changing. In 30 years’ time jobs will probably be different to what is in demand now, so giving them the right skills are tools for tomorrow,” she states.
Rita says that at Grow Green the area has different stations that focus on the ‘child-led approach’ meaning that in these stations parents or guardians help their children to initiate play but give them the liberty to use their imagination and play by themselves.
“We have themes like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter but still, to us, simplicity is key. Playing in the mud with toy animals, using natural resources not to damage the fields, and – a favourite activity – cooking are all well received with children,” Natasha adds.
Adjacent to the play area, the family grows different produce. They share that another loved activity is picking fruits and vegetables. On one occasion, children accompanied by their parent’s picked cauliflower, along with other ingredients and together they made the traditional ‘minestra’.
“Some children had never eaten it at home. But they were so proud of their work that they tried it for the first time. They also saw other children eating away and that helped them experiment more,” Rita says.
‘We fight a lot, but we come in pairs. You cannot find the one without the other’
The dynamics in the team are very clear: Rita is very hands on, the creative and the organiser while Natasha can be seen more behind the scenes.
“Sometimes if I don’t stop her, mum would buy everything in sight to add on to the stuff we have here. She really loves doing this,” Natasha said smiling.
While Rita had no problem agreeing with her statement, she says that she truly loves having the opportunity to organise these sessions. They both emphasise that for them these sessions are not about profit.
“We don’t see large profits. Obviously, we do not want to operate at a loss and mum spends day and night trying to organise different activities, but we are not here to make large sums of profit,” Natasha highlights.
As a mother of two, Natasha says that certain events on the market cost €30 per child. And while she admits that she does not stray away from taking them anyways, she acknowledges that some parents have multiple children and cannot afford to regularly spend money on these activities.
Rita continues that from her end, her biggest achievement is not to make money but to see parents, guardians and grandparents enjoy time with their little ones away from life’s problems and distractions, as well as technology.
“To me that’s all that matters. Unfortunately, lots of people have no option but to work, even grandparents,” she says.
Rita continues that it’s crucial that even working grandparents are allowed to spend a few hours a week with their grandchildren. As a grandma herself, she cannot imagine not being with them and not spending time together.
On the other hand, WhosWho.mt asked the duo about what it’s like to work together as mother and daughter and whether this affects their relationship.
Giggling, they both agreed that they are constantly arguing, as any mother and daughter would. But they both state that they cannot live without each other, and they are constantly joined at the hip. “We come in pairs, you cannot find the one without the other,” Natasha says.
One of their favourite things to do is grab a cup of coffee together and unwind, and – like many others – they love to travel together.
“I let Natasha plan everything because she’s the expert, especially when finding activities to take the children. We travel with my other daughter and sometimes even without our husbands, but I love to travel with my grandchildren because I get to experience things all over again,” Rita remarks.
‘Mother’s Day is too commercial; We celebrate each other every day’
Asked how they will be celebrating Mother's Day, Rita noted that many years ago the family suffered a family tragedy on the day and even though the years have passed, the day is always difficult for them.
Despite so, they believe that Mother’s Day has become too commercial.
She concludes that while sometimes they go out to eat, they also enjoy a home-cooked meal.
“As long as we have the family all together, it doesn’t really matter. We enjoy the simple things in life,” Rita and Natasha conclude.
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