Johannesburg - Navigating parenthood is one of the most important and demanding roles a person can undertake.
Caring for children has also become significantly more challenging in modern times, something that has been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic as health welfare, education, and finances have been thrust in the spotlight.
In a bid to provide support to those raising the next generation of leaders, BabyYumYum, the fastest-growing parenting portal in South Africa, next month will host the Virtual Parenting Experience (VPE).
Amanda Rogaly, the founder of the parenting platform, explained to The Saturday Star this week that the event seeks to provide parents with credible and professional advice, as many are inundated and perplexed with information overload.
“There is lots of information at hand from mom, gogo, your friends, and each opinion comes with its own solution, but which way do you turn?” the self-proclaimed chief mom said.
Rogaly added that BabyYumYum is in a position to offer parents advice from experts and specialists while also connecting them with goods and products with a proven track record.
“The overall purpose is to educate, empower and entertain parents as well as to allow brands to connect with these parents in a deep and insightful way and assist in guiding purchasing decisions.”
Despite all that the Virtual Parenting Experience has to offer, Rogaly believes that the biggest thing parents and guardians can expect from the event, which they can enjoy from the comfort of their own homes, is value.
“Parents will walk away feeling empowered from the speakers, entertained by the workshops and interactions, socially fulfilled from the online social element, inspired to be a better parent and rewarded with prizes, goodie bags and phenomenal product discounts and exposure.”
During the course of three days in May, the online event will cover crucial parenting topics, which include fertility, baby sleeping habits, as well as more controversial topics such as baby gender selection and questions women are too embarrassed to ask their gynaecologists.
“Another very pertinent issue, particularly in South Africa, is combining traditional and cultural beliefs and practise,” Rogaly said.
The very first Virtual Parenting Experience was held with great success last year as it drew an audience of 13 300 people who crossed the virtual platform in just two days participating in over 30 curated webinars hosted by experts in their field.
And while the BabyYumYum founder was not sure what to expect from the then inaugural event, she said that they were blown away by the response and support from parents.
“The morning of the event came after aggressively convincing parents to buy tickets to a concept that was foreign to them, but it exploded, and we had parents join us from the very first minute to the very last minute each day.”
Rogaly promised that this year’s event would be even bigger and better as the wide range of topics which will be explored at the 2022 Virtual Parenting Experience is in response to the influx of information that many caregivers struggle with.
“Today, there is simply an information overload which shapes and defines our parenting styles and perceptions, and parents feel overwhelmed and often judged with this info overload which is very often incorrect and not credible,” Rogaly believes.
She said that the Virtual Parenting Experience aims to comprehensively address this through their event, which they have thoroughly prepared.
This year, they have even landed the Momentum Medical Scheme as the event’s headline sponsor, and Rogaly added that they have kept what worked for them last year while also adding more elements to the latest instalment of the Virtual Parenting Experience, including an extra day for the event.
“This year, our speakers are more diverse, our talks include a lot more interactive workshops, we still have the actual goodie bags as well as an increased prize give-away to the value of R300 000.”
The 2022 Virtual Parenting Experience will also include a retail expo area that focuses on SMMES that have online e-commerce stores.
“We are levelling the playing field and giving these stores and brands an opportunity to expose themselves to our over 18 000 ticket holders, which stimulate the economy and promotes entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs with our help,” said Rogaly.
The Virtual Parenting Experience will also host celebrity guest speakers as well as provide giveaways aimed at couples who are wanting to start a family and those who are already on their parenting journey.
The Virtual Parenting Experience will take place from Friday May 20 to Sunday, May 22 and Rogaly anticipates 18 000 ticket holders to attend three days of sessions including:
Friday 20 May - Dedicated Brand Engagement and Retail e-Commerce Space
Saturday 21 May - Day 1 Expert Presentations (10h00 to 16h00)
Sunday 22 May - Day 2 Expert Presentations (10h00 to 16h00)
For more information, email [email protected] or visit Baby Yum Yums https://babyyumyum.co.za/