AFRA & Mama Anna As Momager
- Jan 2
- 3 min read
Why I Said No to Afro wanting to create YouTube kids Videos for Years and Why I’m Saying Ok to AFRA Now
For years, Afroditi asked me the same question.
“Mama, can I make YouTubeKIDS videos?”
She asked over & over again but she was five & I had just given Birth to Afreeca. Then again at six. And again after that. And every time, my answer was gentle, but firm.
No.
Not because I didn’t believe in her.But because I believed in her enough to protect her.
Afroditi didn’t want YouTube because she wanted to perform for strangers. She wanted it because other kids were doing it. She enjoyed the funny, silly videos she saw on YouTube Kids playing with dolls with no real educational goals & though i like that hobby for them i told her either she does something with value to build community & grow but not just videos of her playing, she was curious. That’s normal. That’s childhood.
But as her mother and as someone who has worked in music and creative projects for many years I knew something deeply:having a platform without purpose is not harmless.
I told her:“If you ever want to share something with the world, it needs to have value. It needs to say something kind, helpful, or meaningful. Otherwise, the answer will always be no.”
So we waited.
What Changed
What changed wasn’t just her age. It was clarity.
Afroditi is now eight. Afreeca is five. They are growing into themselves. They are learning German every day. English is already their first shared language. They live between cultures Berlin, Ghana, family in Holland and they experience language not as a subject, but as life.
I watched them learn. I watched how naturally music helped. How repetition became play. How confidence grew when learning wasn’t forced.
And I realized: This is the value.
As of today, I made a conscious choice to officially stand behind them not just as their mother, but as their moniker, using my skills in design, music, and project structure to shape something clear, safe, and intentional.
The first video will be uploaded at the end of January. And from there, we will grow step by step.
What We’re Creating and What We’re Not
This is not random content.This is not trend-chasing.And it is definitely not children being put in front of a camera without direction.
The foundation is simple and solid:English and German. Always.
Other languages will be guests, not noise.
When we travel to Ghana, we will collaborate with old kindergarten friends and introduce Twi with translations always anchored in English, just as it’s done in their kindergarten in Germany. The same will happen with friends from other countries and cultures. French, Dutch, or any other language may appear but always with clarity, context, and respect.
Language should feel like an invitation, not confusion.
Why Direction Matters to Me
I’ve been an artist for many years. I know what happens when projects have no structure, no intention, and no positive direction. I have lived it.
That’s why I refuse to participate in anything unclear and why I would never want that for my children.
Before I said yes, I outlined everything:
what this is
who it is for
how it grows
and just as importantly, what it is not
This project is designed so that anyone who comes across it parents, educators, partners can instantly understand it and decide:This is for us.orThis is not.
No wasted time. No confusion.
Why I Can Say Yes Now
Because this isn’t about exposure.It’s about expression.
It’s about learning together.Growing with intention.And creating something that leaves children feeling more confident than before they clicked play.
I said no for years because the moment wasn’t right.
Now, it is.
And as their mother, that’s the only yes that matters.
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