Babies come first at new Ghent restaurant
Started by a young mother, Amélie+Moi has special menus for parents, babies and toddlers, in addition to a play area, changing table, cradles and bouncers
A table for toddlers, please
Named after the founder and owner, Stefanie Canu, and her three-year-old daughter, Amélie, the restaurant in the city centre serves breakfast, lunch and drinks specially prepared for three age groups: babies, toddlers and their parents.
According to Canu, she’s responding to the need she herself had. “Many people underestimate the isolation you’re confronted with as a young parent,” she says. “I suffered from loneliness and a serious lack of self-esteem after giving birth, which eventually resulted in a postnatal depression.”
It took her a while, she continues, “to understand that I needed to step out into the world and meet other people who were in the same situation and recognised what I was going through. With Amélie+Moi, I want to make it possible for young parents to gather and talk, without having to leave their babies at home.”
While socialising, the parents can put their children in a cradle by the bar or in one of the baby bouncers. There is also a changing table and a play area with puzzles, games and handicrafts.
Steamed veg and a puzzle
While socialising, the parents can put their children in a cradle by the bar or in one of the baby bouncers. There is also a changing table and a play area with puzzles, games and handicrafts.
The baby menu consists of purees and porridge, but Amélie+Moi also serves small pieces of steamed or raw vegetables. Canu believes firmly in the Rapley method, a baby-led weaning technique invented by British health-care worker Gill Rapley.
I want to make it possible for young parents to gather and talk, without having to leave their babies at home
“The baby is given small pieces of steamed vegetables or fruits so they can start experimenting with tastes and textures through play,” Canu explains, “The baby can then decide for themselves what to swallow.”
A former psychologist, Canu intends to dedicate her place to the well-being and mental health of young parents. With a series of lectures and activities, she wants to educate and inform, breaking taboos on parenting.
“Of course we’ll have our share of cooking workshops,” she says, “But who’s ever heard of young dads and moms suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder? Soon, we’ll host lectures on burn-out, work-life balance, postnatal depression and the taboos concerning maternal love.”
It’s all part of the package, she adds. “We want to become a place of reference for the community of young parents.”
Steendam 76, Ghent
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