Amanda lives with her family in a small coastal village in Cape Town. Her days with Santiago, India, Isaiah, and their two dogs often include surfboards, sandy bags, and a lot happening at once.

In this edition of A Wildride With, Amanda shares how the ocean shapes family life, what exploring the world means to her family, and why having a community around you matters.

Name / age / age of your kid(s)

Amanda, 39 years old. Santiago is 10, India is 5, and Isaiah is 1.5 years old. Biscuit & Billy are 3 years and 8 months.

Tell us something about you

We have been living in a little coastal village in Cape Town for the last 7 years now and it’s such a special place that aligns with our family. I do always love to dream of new places to live and explore with the family and have different experiences as the world has so much to give. And we only have this one precious life to do all these things. So let’s see what’s heading for us.

I’m someone who feels most alive in the ocean with my family. We love surfing together. It’s where we feel at home.

Besides that, we love going on adventures, traveling the world, and immersing ourselves in different cultures, connecting with the people of the land and the stories they carry. This journey has deeply humbled me, and my children have learned life lessons far beyond school.

I also really value the simple, quiet moments: early mornings, being in nature, and just being fully present with my children. There is so much distraction in the world and always something else to be busy with. But I’m a seeker of presence and I practice this daily.

What was your wild ride?

I love the wild life we are riding. Often fully packed with surfboards, two dogs, bags to carry, and a toddler running in every direction, it can feel overwhelming from time to time. But in the middle of it all, I feel so deeply grateful for it and wouldn't change this chaos for anything. Being able to keep my little one close in my Wildride carrier while managing everything else is everything!

What’s your favourite place to go on a mini adventure with your kid?

We have a very deep connection with the ocean, it truly centers us as a family. We all love being in, on, or under the water. We love surfing together and taking the kids (and dogs) to explore the underwater kelp forests, to just simply feel connected to everything the ocean has to give. It’s like visiting a new world underwater. Our connection with the ocean feels almost like an unconditional love relationship. She resets us, calms us, or amplifies our joy. Like she regulates our nervous systems. Life can be challenging from time to time, but giving my children access to that kind of peace, connection, and appreciation is the biggest gift I can give. 

What’s in your bag? 

I'm not such an organized bag person unfortunately, and it depends on where we're heading, but generally it always contains: my Wildride, Arnica (homeopathic remedy), fruit/snack, water, story book, pencils and drawing paper. There is almost always something ocean-related in there, shells, or little treasures the kids insisted on bringing home. Sometimes it’s a crab, but often my bag consists of sand.

What does your perfect weekend with your family look like?

Our perfect weekend is always a balance of a bit of everything as everyone in the family has a strong will and need haha, but a perfect weekend road trip would be filled with good waves in the morning, exploring little gem towns along the way, going on a horse riding trail in the mountains and have food together around the fire. Also, if our dogs Biscuit and Billy are not with us, we never feel complete. So they have to be part of it all! 

What’s your go-to song for a fun walk or ride with your kid?

At the moment, my 10-year-old is taking over the music with the Offspring. Teenage time is coming.

If you had a day off just for yourself, how would you spend it?

I will take my old red Landc Cruiser and head out on a road trip into the wild landscapes of the Karoo here in South Africa. I love the feeling of stepping back in time. My mind often drifts back to the 70s. Maybe that’s why I love old things so much. They have so much authenticity and character. A time machine would be great! Haha. But for me a road trip in the Karoo carries a sense of complete freedom and deep gratitude. It inspires me, grounds me, and reminds me who I am. And that’s so necessary sometimes.

What surprised you most about parenthood?

There is this writing which tells all the feels. ‘She sings, not to call the sailors but to keep herself company. Beneath the weight of watching no one tells you how lonely it can be To be the whole ocean for someone small.‘We as mothers have such a weight on our shoulders to do everything alone. And sometimes in the middle of it all it can be very lonely and asking for help can feel so big. So it’s important to have community around us.

What’s been your biggest “oops” moment as a parent so far?

With three little rascals, there have been many “oops” moments. I think the moment when they made a flower cocktail from pool chlorine in less than 30 seconds and sipping it away, was a big oops. Luckily everything was fine after a hospital check. ;-)

What does your child do that melts your heart every time?

How each of them call for me in their own authentic way. The cutest versions of mommy can come out of that.  Also still from my 10 year old. And then I don’t mean the maaaaaammaaaaaaaaaa ;-)

If you could give one piece of advice to a new parent, what would it be?

There is no perfect way to do parenthood. There is no one right path. We are all unique, authentic beings, and that’s exactly what makes you the parent your child needs.Don’t compare yourself to others. Instead, find your own authenticity and let that be your compass. That’s where your strength lies, and that’s where your children will learn from and be inspired by. This is something that resonates deeply with me, and I hope it does for others too. To simply just be you. 

Find your own authenticity and let that be your compass.

What’s something you wish you could tell your past self as a brand-new parent?

Something I can say over again. Your children are only small for such a short time and it can be the most challenging and overwhelming time, but it’s the most precious time where you will look back at and they will look back at as this version of them doesn’t last forever. So do the things together what makes you feel the most alive until the day they are doing it by themselves. 

A reminder that parenthood is not something to compare. It is something to live in your own way, with the people and places that make you feel most like yourself, and with the small choices that give shape to the life you are building.