Meet barely Parenting’s Ferhensha


Passionate about education and fun, colourful educational resources for children in the early developmental years, I decided to start a little home-based business called Fun Learning Creations.
My name is Ferhensha and I am a mother to two little bundles of mischief and mayhem. It is through looking at their early development needs that I began my colourful creations.
And the creations are just that… They are fun and made for stimulating learning in many ways. I love wood and laminates, so I decided to combine the two materials and make little sets which concentrate on the academic side of early learning. Focusing on quality and quantity, I try as much as possible to make every set allow for maximum stimulation across a diverse spectrum of practice and learning.
An example is the simple alphabet peg set with laminated cards and letter pictures. These sets were made to stimulate fine motor practice with the pegs, letter recognition and wooden letters for textured letter formation feel. They are also used for matching of upper- and lower-case letter recognition and partnering, beginning words and sounds with the letter pictures associated as well as spelling and writing, as I use pre-school fonts in the text.
There is also playdough, again, stimulating fine motor skills and manipulation by making playdough letters by following the associated cards. This allows for all the above, and better, letter formation control and recognition for writing and reading.
Based in the West Coast of the Western Cape, you will be able to find out more about my business and the products I offer on Instagram: @barely_parenting and @Fun_Learning_Creations. My website is still in development and very soon, I will run a blog there as well – for now though, it is just the ‘Gram.
Orders can be made via a simple DM (direct message). All prices and sets are found on the grid of my business page for easy perusal with detailed descriptions.
One can also order via email: barelyparenting@gmail.com
Sets can also be tailored to your needs – often, the sets I make are highly customisable and, in the DM or email you can just let me know the age of your little one/s and the sets that capture your interest.
Once we’ve decided on a set, you will be invoiced (almost) immediately. I did mention that I have two bundles of joy, right? On receiving a POP (proof of payment), I will commence on making and putting your set together and it should be completed and posted to you within 4 to 5 days depending on the set, of course.
Postage is paid for separately. I often use Aramex, The Courier Guy, and a local courier company if you are based locally (that is in Cape Town). Prior to you being invoiced, I will give you courier options and the allocated prices of the services required.
Being a mum of two under the ages of 5 has kept me busy mummying and housing. However, as they grow, I am attempting to get back into the groove of doing more leisure and self care activities for me. I absolutely enjoy the outdoors and will forever love adventures. The beach is our go-to activity with visits almost four times a week (and more if the weather permits).
There are two sides to me. An extroverted side when all you ought to do is give me volleyball on the beach, take me hiking to Lion’s Head and other trails or suggest mountain climbing and I am game. The other side, the introverted one, requires that I get lost in numerous great books. Some of my favourite authors include, but are not limited to, Dan Brown, Brandon Sanderson, Tolkien, and Ken Follet.
Some of my best reads are series like: The Mortal Instruments, Fallen and many others and whilst I may forget the names of books and the authors who pen them, the stories tend to stay with me.
I also love to write. I write poetry and learning booklets for children which have to do with the important and difficult to talk about topics such as, ‘Big emotions, Loss, Our Differences, Menstruation, Body Boundaries, the South African public holidays as well as Apartheid and Discrimination’. I absolutely love writing these booklets and would truly be happy to create these materials for the curriculum or sign up with a publishing company to be a full-time children’s author.
You will find that I am a major advocate for breaking the silence of mental illness, sharing the realities in a raw and open way by disposing of the stigmas attached and sharing my own personal journey with BPD and OCD. I do this to spread awareness and take away the misconceptions around these difficult to address topics. I write and share about these often on my Instagram page @barely_parenting.
I am also on a constant journey moving towards ‘conscious parenting’ and living healthily to be better for me and my children. I wish to lead by example in empowering them from as early as possible. I focus on mentally, emotionally, and physically to the best that I can be as my continuous journey will allow.
Whilst I started my business during lockdown, Covid-19 hasn’t just affected my business but my life on a whole. There were many struggles from financial strain to allocating capital for the business as my products are rich in resources. Had there been a bigger financial push, I am certain that I would have been able to service a wider range of clients and provide more sets and resources.
My business has been a blessing through Covid-19 as it provided a little financial help for day-to-day expenses.
I am eternally grateful to those who support small business. You are making more of a difference than you can imagine. You play a huge role in people’s lives and dreams.
For an actual example of this, please take a journey along my Instagram timeline/grid, you will be able to see the growth of my business, the differences in my sets and the progression of my dream as my business is supported by the likes of you.
Once again, thank you for your interest, your support and your visit.
