Raising strong, influential kids is no small feat. They have different personalities and your hopes and dreams might not always be what they choose to pursue. This month, Get It turns its focus on the three very important stages of your little one’s life. Here we chat to the parents of a baby, a toddler and a teen for an exclusive look into how they manage these stages of their development.
The playful world of Eliano
Naturally, babies demand attention. Their cute little hands and feet and precious smiles can light up any room they’re in. The 9-month-old Eliano Cevin Jr Wymers is no exception. He is the second-born son of his parents, Ruaan and Nicole Wymers.
Eliano enjoys playing with his big brother Rublique Nicovin Wymers, who is always by his side, making sure that he is happy.
Baby Eli is known for his funny facial expressions that know no bounds. When he eats something, when he hears something that catches his attention, and even when he sees something out of the ordinary, his face will show it.
“He is very smart when it comes to understanding certain things, but don’t let that fool you… the cunning smile and charm are all part of babies’ manipulation to always get their way. But who can blame them?” his parents expressed.
Eli spends most of his time with his grandmother who takes care of him when his parents are at work.
“We as the Wymers family love to spend family time over the weekend, such as having family braais, playing with the dogs, swimming in the pool, fixing things together, playing games, and travelling to explore new things the world has to offer.”
His father, Ruaan is a qualified Mechanical Engineer and has a passion for rugby, which he shares with Eliano’s older brother. Nicole enjoys her job as a Human Resource Administrator but is very passionate about baking, and swimming and loves the outdoors – much like Eliano. They dream that Eli will be successful in whatever career path he chooses.
“Eliano, as well as our firstborn, adds phenomenal light to our lives. They are so much more than just our children, they brighten up our lives every day. We cannot wait to see them at the end of a long day. They just know how to make you smile when having a bad day, yet they can be a handful sometimes but that makes it all more worthwhile. Our two sons are truly angels sent from above. They are our life savers!”
Moela’s quest to the moon!
From the moment she enters the room until she leaves, this toddler’s energy can be felt throughout!
Moela Wesi (5) is a toddler described as a very happy child by influencer mom, Mosa Wesi. Moela is always eager to learn new words and discover new things around her.
Although Moela aspires to be free, her actual dream job is to be an astronaut. Mom Mosa mentions that their family’s love language is talking about the moon and how she (Moela) intends to fly to the moon.
Moela’s name derives from the meaning: ‘stream of water’, and was shown to her mother in a dream so it comes as no surprise that she developed a profound love for water by the age of two when she started swimming.
From the get-go, Moela can be seen as an independent child and constantly reminds her parents that she is a “big girl”.
Her parents, Mosa and Maxi, share that their fondest memory of Moela was when she took her very first steps. Coincidentally, however, their proudest moment was when she broke her leg at the age of two but showed so much resilience and strength.
As young as she is, Moela is a teacher! She has taught her parents to put their phones down and play with her. This naturally presents itself as a healthy opportunity for family quality time.
“Although it gets to me, it reminds me to be a present parent in my child’s life and we love Moela more and more every time for doing just that.”
Ellandri, a golfing legend on the rise!
The 16-year-old Ellandri van Heerden has had a passion for golf since a young age. She is currently 2nd in the 2023 SA Amateur match play event, 2023 WP Nomads Junior Girls international winner, 2023 Southern Cape Women’s Open winner, 3rd in the 2023 Zimbabwe Junior Open and she was selected to play for South Africa at both the Golf RSA International Amateur and the R and A African Amateur in February 2024.
According to her, her dad got her into golf and then saw she had a natural talent for it.
“I wanted to play professional golf or to be a golfer and I know I am close to getting professional. I hope to turn professional within the next two years,” she said confidently.
Besides practising her golf swing, she keeps busy with school life and loves crocheting and art. “I love to be creative and everything needs to be colourful,” says Ellandri.
When asked where she sees herself in ten years, she says: “Playing on the Ladies European Tour, with a few wins in the bag, practising hard and with a purpose and just not giving up!”
Ellandri’s parents, Elrica and Bertus, co-owners of Popeye’s Plumbers in Bloemfontein, always knew their daughter would be a star!
”Looking back on her life I always knew she would be a success. She is a young dynamic ball of fire who is energetic and at the same time empathetic, who puts the Lord, people, animals and friends first. She is so dedicated and hard-working,” says her mom.
“Ellandri was a very colourful and happy baby since she came into our lives. She was very clever and inquisitive right from the start. Being inquisitive led her to explore many avenues of development, academics, sports, and culture, which was part of her chosen paths. We learned a lot from her and still do to this day,” her dad adds.
Ellandri’s pool of support includes her mom, dad and 12-year-old sister Caitlen as well as her granny Gladys who is the creator of all of her beautiful golf dresses and her aunt Ursie who is always there for her every step of the way.
Both her parents are in full support of her dreams, no matter what they are. “We allowed the girls the freedom to be who they want to be in a very demanding society,” says Elrica.
“I want her to be happy. The next dream would be for her to love what she does,” says her dad.
When asked where they think she’ll be in the next 10 years, they said: “I know that she will be a successful player on the Sunshine Ladies Tour with a LET card. She will follow her dreams!” her mom expresses. “Making her dreams come true and turning professional when she is ready, to reach every point of success no matter the sacrifices,” says her dad with pride.
Text: JUSTINE FORTUIN, GYPSEENIA LION and ABIGAIL VISAGIE Photography: GYPSEENIA LION
