Kek Mama columnist Tara Stokdijk about motherhood: ‘It’s just one big chaos’

On the one hand, motherhood is beautiful, but it also brings chaotic, spicy and sometimes downright embarrassing moments. Kek Mama columnist Tara Stokdijk from Zoetermeer knows that like no other. In the book Blender without a lid Tara shares her unfiltered experiences as a mother.

When Tara became the mother of daughter Rosie two years ago, her life was turned upside down. “I might have underestimated that first period,” Tara admits honestly. From a maternity week that absolutely did not feel like a pink cloud, to pumping in the office, failed baby snacks, sleepless nights and explosion diapers. This kind of honest, hilarious and sometimes embarrassing moments are the common thread of her book.

First-time mom

Tara calls herself a typical first-time mom: “I am anything but a primal mother who has everything under control. I constantly swing between ‘this is great’ and ‘help, what should I do now?'” With this honesty, Tara Taboos wants to break through: “Sometimes I put myself down like a whining mother or I don’t want to show that that is the mouthern to show that that is a nervous wreck. Are they sometimes struggling – even being able to laugh about it.

Explosion diaper

We ask Tara about such a moment of total chaos, and she immediately starts to laugh. “This is a story that I doubted if I would share it, because it sounds so incredible. But it really happened!” Tara starts her story: “My brother had asked if my daughter wanted to bring the rings to his wedding. I was worried for months. Could Rosie walk on time? Could she bring the rings with her own will?”

But no one could have foreseen what happened then. “Rosie had an explosion diaper while she was sitting on my lap. It was a big chaos: our neat clothes were under the shit and we had no more than hand soap and wipes to clean it. You can guess: we smelled the rest of the wedding to poo.” Fortunately, the ceremony went smoothly, and her daughter neatly brought the rings to the wedding couple.

Maternity week

In her book, Tara also encourages more serious topics that unpacked differently, such as her maternity week. “I expected that I would be in bed hugging with my baby. The reality was a slap in my face! Maternity tears, stowing, leaking, pain. I did not sleep and I felt a wreck. My maternity nurse I asked dozens of times if it would ever get better. It didn’t feel like a pink cloud at all.” And in the meantime there was also an endless stream of maternity visit. “Everyone wanted to see the baby, while I was barely recovered from the birth. I felt completely overwhelmed. How on earth did I also receive a nice visit?”

From Kinderkrome to BoekDeal

The fact that Tara has now bundled all her experiences in a book is a long -held dream come true. Tara has known since she was ten that she wanted to become a writer. “And we succeeded now!”, Tara says proudly. She always had her goals sharp and worked hard for it. “I really like the step -by -step plans, so I already looked at vacancies as a teenager and made a concrete plan based on that. Which study should I follow? Where am I going to gain work experience? How do I get to the right magazines?” Her targeted approach eventually led her to Kek Mamawhere she writes columns about parenthood every week. As the stack of anecdotes grew, Tara decided to write a book.

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Special collaboration

During the writing process, Tara collaborated with a male publisher, who is not exactly in its target group. A special cooperation, especially given the differences between them. “He had no idea of ​​the things I wrote about motherhood,” says Tara. “That made the collaboration extra fun. He had to move into a world that is miles away from him, which regularly led to hilarious conversations.”

Launch

Tara hopes that parents recognize themselves in the unfiltered stories she shares in her book: “The book is absolutely not intended to advise mothers, but to make them laugh.” Blender without a lid will be launched on April 13 at De Vries bookstore van Stockum in The Hague. Before that time you can already order the book via Publisherspember.nl,, ” Bol.com And bookstores sites.

Plans for the future

Tara’s dream to publish a book is now reality, but she has not yet been written out. “Rosie is now almost two and I can already write another book about it! Who knows, if she goes to primary school, there will be a sequel”,, “ She says with a wink.