Up until the end of 2019, Roba El Gindy introduced herself as a Marketing professional with 10 years of experience and an impressive CV. Now, she describes herself as wearing two different hats in parallel! Along with her marketing career, she’s become a Certified ICF Parenting Coach and founded Humans Inc, the parenting platform, and The Care Pack, a children’s activities pack dedicated to nurturing their mental health. Why did she make this shift and how did it happen? We sat down with her to know all about it.
Tell us about Humans Inc. and The Care Pack
Humans Inc. is my parent-coaching platform where I promote strengths-based parenting. We aspire to create community “hope spots” made up of parents, educators, and caregivers who are capable of discovering, empowering, and nurturing themselves & others to be the best versions of themselves.
The Care Pack takes my mission a step closer to children & parenting at home. We design games & activities that nurture kids’ emotional & mental health; aiming to raise a generation that is “life-ready” by being confident, resilient, and balanced humans.
How did you get the idea for The Care Pack?
Looking at our generation’s struggles, I wanted to change things for my daughter, to teach her skills that would prepare her for life. I decided to dedicate my Maternity Leave to figuring this out.
I was enrolled in a Graphic Design Diploma. We had an assignment to start a project implementing everything we’d learned. After so much back and forth, The Care Pack came to life.
What accelerated the process was actually the pandemic. When the covid restrictions first hit in March, people in my circle were split into two clear groups. One group was anxious, stressed, and grieving over the loss of their sense of control and normalcy. The other was excited about taking a step back, slowing down, and enjoying the little things in life, they adapted in ways I found astonishing. I observed this group and one thing stood out most to me: Gratitude.
The individuals who had practiced this muscle over the years were able to strongly put it to use almost immediately in times of uncertainty.
One thing led to another and I launched The Care Pack. Naturally, my first theme was Gratitude.
What do you hope to achieve with The Care Pack?
I want to prepare the next generation to be better equipped for the world both mentally and emotionally. Also, I want to carve a space for mental and emotional health in the world of children’s games & activities.
How does The Care Pack bring families together?
Both parents & children who’ve used The Care Pack said their favorite thing about it was that it strengthened their family bond and helped them communicate better.
One mom said The Care Pack gave her a chance to sit down with her kids like they’re friends.
It made her realize how much time she spent talking at them, giving orders and instructions and rules instead of really talking to them.
Another mom said the pack made her children more expressive about the way they felt. A third said it helped her discover what her son likes and what bothers him and realize that her expectations of those things didn’t always match reality.
We even got feedback from a son who said The Care Pack made his parents listen more.
How can people buy The Care Pack?
Through our official Instagram and Facebook pages or our online partner, Kidzapp’s website, or from the wellness-focused Nun Center in Zamalek.
We plan to expand into more stores and internationally as well. We’ve received a lot of interest in The Care Pack from families and teachers from all cultures. We’re really grateful for that.
From your perspective, what are the qualities of a good parent?
We at The Care Pack believe that “great parents are made not born.” So, my short answer to that would be: A good parent is one that realizes that parenting is a skill that needs to be consciously learned, practiced, and developed. It doesn’t come naturally, and definitely doesn’t work the same way with all parents and all children.
A great parent realizes that and knows that they will make mistakes but has the courage and will put in the efforts to fix them as they arise.
Parenting requires a lot of looking inwards. You have a little human that comes with his/her own set of strengths, dreams, and passions. You have to uncover their gifts, nurture their natures, love unconditionally, emotionally connect, and consciously empower them with the skills they need.
What’s a common mistake parents often make with their children? And what advice would you give to new parents still finding their way?
From my perspective, the most common mistake parents make today is to assume that what used to work for older generations will work seamlessly today. We’re torn between the fast-paced lifestyle the previous generations didn’t experience, and the exposure our children have to the world at their fingertips.
In a world that has never been more connected, we have never been more disconnected from our children. We’re not emotionally in tune with them. It is our responsibility to make up for that.
That’s the main role I hope The Care Pack fulfills; to help secure a strong bond between parents & children in the midst of all these challenges. As well as to help give us the right tools, and create the right forum for parents to prepare their children to be the best versions of themselves.
As for what advice I would give, they have to know that parenting is a full-time job that requires awareness, training, and keeping ourselves up to date. I would invite them to look into their own childhoods. To ask themselves what they would like to repeat and what they wouldn’t like to repeat. Only then, will they be able to nurture their children’s nature and allow them to live in strength.