Family and Relationships On our Family and Relationships page, you'll find tips on relationships and parenting, as well as stories about personal relationships, everyday family life, and the different stages of life. Thu, 28 May 2026 12:20:14 +0000 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:10:34 +0000 Laminas_Feed_Writer 2 (https://getlaminas.org) https://www.kotona.com/themes/family-and-relationships “Brilliant inventions that should be used everywhere”: three families share what surprised them about Finnish homes Thu, 28 May 2026 12:20:14 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/three-families-share-what-surprised-them-about-finnish-homes https://www.kotona.com/articles/three-families-share-what-surprised-them-about-finnish-homes 0 What stays with you after moving back home? Three Finns reflect on life abroad Tue, 12 May 2026 13:32:10 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/three-finns-reflect-on-life-abroad https://www.kotona.com/articles/three-finns-reflect-on-life-abroad 0 “Our home is so tidy it’s embarrassing”—inside Emmi’s perfectly organized family home Wed, 06 May 2026 08:50:23 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/tidy-home-embarrassing https://www.kotona.com/articles/tidy-home-embarrassing 0 “In England you need to be a millionaire to live near the woods”—Sara and Conor moved to Finland for a slower life Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:28:18 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/sara-and-conor-moved-with-their-family-from-england-to-finland https://www.kotona.com/articles/sara-and-conor-moved-with-their-family-from-england-to-finland 0 “Grandma still looks after us”—9 stories behind the Kotona team’s most beloved knits Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:48:53 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/most-beloved-knits https://www.kotona.com/articles/most-beloved-knits 0 Very Finnish Problems’ Joel jokes about Finnish clichés online, but in real life he’s just like one of us—“The cheese slicer is a brilliant invention!” Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:12:47 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/very-finnish-problems-joel-willans-feels-at-home-in-finland https://www.kotona.com/articles/very-finnish-problems-joel-willans-feels-at-home-in-finland 0 “We got rid of more than three trailer loads”—decluttering transformed Henrika’s relationship with stuff Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:26:33 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/decluttering-after-having-a-baby https://www.kotona.com/articles/decluttering-after-having-a-baby 0 “It’s important to us that our children grow up in Sámi culture”—home on Finland’s northernmost edge Thu, 29 Jan 2026 13:34:12 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/family-home-in-nuorgam https://www.kotona.com/articles/family-home-in-nuorgam 0 Finnish Sirpa missed the community she had in the US—so she started a Buy Nothing group Fri, 16 Jan 2026 13:17:13 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/sirpa-founded-buy-nothing-community https://www.kotona.com/articles/sirpa-founded-buy-nothing-community 0 The blueprint of a Finn: 28 things we all agree on (quietly, of course) Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:12:37 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/things-that-unite-finns https://www.kotona.com/articles/things-that-unite-finns 0 From 12 dressers to one: how Liisa cut the clutter Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:01:08 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/decluttering-for-a-move https://www.kotona.com/articles/decluttering-for-a-move 0 Step away from the screen and into the sauna—so the best conversations don’t go unsaid Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:22:57 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/miia-kauhanens-column-on-sauna-conversations https://www.kotona.com/articles/miia-kauhanens-column-on-sauna-conversations 0 The sweet square Finns can’t resist—how mokkapalat became a national crowd-pleaser Thu, 11 Dec 2025 13:03:38 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/mokkapala-the-beloved-finnish-mocha-squares https://www.kotona.com/articles/mokkapala-the-beloved-finnish-mocha-squares 0 “When my mom died, knitting saved me”—now Marjut’s wool socks carry on her mother’s legacy Fri, 28 Nov 2025 11:04:26 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/when-mom-died-knitting-saved-me https://www.kotona.com/articles/when-mom-died-knitting-saved-me 0 Like any sensible family, we split the housework more or less evenly Wed, 26 Nov 2025 14:04:29 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/kari-otso-nevaluoma-column-housework https://www.kotona.com/articles/kari-otso-nevaluoma-column-housework 0 “Animals are an important part of the family”: cozy living at Tourula farm with alpacas Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:00:16 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/christmas-at-tourula-alpaca-farm https://www.kotona.com/articles/christmas-at-tourula-alpaca-farm 0 Family of six living small—made possible by versatile living spaces Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:07:42 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/six-people-small-living https://www.kotona.com/articles/six-people-small-living 0 Nenna, 22, transformed a run-down post-war house into her first home: “There will still be enough work for decades” Fri, 21 Nov 2025 10:32:58 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/nenna-jokinen-22-renovates-a-run-down-post-war-house https://www.kotona.com/articles/nenna-jokinen-22-renovates-a-run-down-post-war-house 0 High heels and 13 santas: how Satu Rämö celebrates Christmas in Iceland Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:14:01 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/satu-ramo-christmas-column https://www.kotona.com/articles/satu-ramo-christmas-column 0 “Even strangers start to smile”: meet Tommi, the Christmas-crazy collector of dozens of sweaters Sun, 16 Nov 2025 09:00:15 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/tommys-christmas-sweaters https://www.kotona.com/articles/tommys-christmas-sweaters 0 Inside Sophia Jansson’s Moomin world: “Among the Moomin characters, Little My is closest to my heart” Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:42:21 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/the-best-things-in-sophia-janssons-everyday-life https://www.kotona.com/articles/the-best-things-in-sophia-janssons-everyday-life 0 I changed my mind about Halloween—two lessons I learned the hard way Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:03:05 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/henna-kaisa-ranta-column-about-halloween https://www.kotona.com/articles/henna-kaisa-ranta-column-about-halloween 0 A 90-euro rent gap forced Niina and her daughter to move: “I long for a room with a door I can close” Sat, 11 Oct 2025 07:00:16 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/mother-and-daughter-in-a-two-room-apartment https://www.kotona.com/articles/mother-and-daughter-in-a-two-room-apartment 0 Three freezers, one berry car: “In the forest, I am part of the chain of my Ugric foremothers” Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:30:19 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/minna-rytisalos-berry-picking-passion https://www.kotona.com/articles/minna-rytisalos-berry-picking-passion 0 A carnival life: inside the Sariola family’s traveling caravan Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:58:01 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/anna-and-ville-sariolas-caravan-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/anna-and-ville-sariolas-caravan-home 0 Hey, you who got my knitted gift—every stitch tells your story Sat, 04 Oct 2025 09:00:19 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/annette-saksmans-column-on-gift-knits https://www.kotona.com/articles/annette-saksmans-column-on-gift-knits 0 Mom and teen share a studio: “A big single-family house wasn’t right for me” Wed, 01 Oct 2025 11:36:07 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/a-mother-and-daughters-studio https://www.kotona.com/articles/a-mother-and-daughters-studio 0 Where animals get their own floor: inside Harshal and Lorenzo’s 42-pet log house Tue, 30 Sep 2025 11:39:17 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/a-floor-for-the-animals https://www.kotona.com/articles/a-floor-for-the-animals 0 A painful breakup changed everything for author Anu Joenpolvi: “I decided I would spend the rest of my life alone” Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:39:47 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/author-anu-joenpolvi-after-the-breakup https://www.kotona.com/articles/author-anu-joenpolvi-after-the-breakup 0 Living in a tableware shop! Jaana and Harri’s vintage Arabia—and the surprise in their kitchen cabinet Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:34:39 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/living-in-a-tableware-shop https://www.kotona.com/articles/living-in-a-tableware-shop 0 Three Finnish students become lighthouse keepers: learn about their life on the island! Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:21:15 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/three-students-became-lighthouse-keepers https://www.kotona.com/articles/three-students-became-lighthouse-keepers 0 A fire destroyed Leena’s family home: she built a new safe haven with almost zero budget Tue, 26 Aug 2025 08:00:12 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/new-home-after-the-fire https://www.kotona.com/articles/new-home-after-the-fire 0 After her divorce, tantra changed Tanja’s life: “Tantra sparked the change I had long been seeking after my crisis” Thu, 14 Aug 2025 12:12:08 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/after-divorce-tantra-changed-life https://www.kotona.com/articles/after-divorce-tantra-changed-life 0 Should kids have their own rooms? Blended family’s four children share one space—and a four-person bunk bed! Mon, 11 Aug 2025 14:36:26 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/should-a-child-have-their-own-room https://www.kotona.com/articles/should-a-child-have-their-own-room 0 “I’ve cared for my mom since I was a teenager”: Iina, 33, juggles daily life for her family and her mother Mon, 11 Aug 2025 12:10:04 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/mothers-stroke https://www.kotona.com/articles/mothers-stroke 0 Crocheted comfort octopuses, a decade-long tribute to a baby’s memory: “In a way, her life continues with this phenomenon” Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:32:01 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/comfort-octopus-phenomenon https://www.kotona.com/articles/comfort-octopus-phenomenon 0 Single parents’ shared home—Tinna and her friend moved in together when rents kept climbing Wed, 06 Aug 2025 06:22:37 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/roommates-in-our-forties https://www.kotona.com/articles/roommates-in-our-forties 0 Riitta was left alone to enjoy the garden summerhouse they built together: “It’s now filled with memories of my husband” Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:09:20 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/riittas-garden-summerhouse https://www.kotona.com/articles/riittas-garden-summerhouse 0 This friendship bracelet is made with two strands of yarn—see our instructions and choose your friend’s favorite colors! Sat, 02 Aug 2025 05:00:21 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/friendship-bracelet https://www.kotona.com/articles/friendship-bracelet 0 Anne crocheted a stunning dress for her daughter’s wedding with no pattern: “At times I thought I was completely crazy!” Thu, 31 Jul 2025 14:05:50 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/annes-crocheted-party-dress https://www.kotona.com/articles/annes-crocheted-party-dress 0