THE EASY ROAD TO HAPPINESS

Since the dawn of history, humanity has been searching for the answer of how to raise and educate children in the best and rightest way. The trend has been speeding up in modernity, when Facebook is dominated by posts on which other people's children always look better dressed, more joyful and better behaved than ours, and when gazillions of articles lecture you on the latest demands for you and the newest fads in child nutrition and education. Add to this the pressure of close and distant relatives who know "best, because we have raised kids, too," and of friends with who you consciously or unconsciously compete, and you end up with the perfect... recipe for a nervous breakdown. And when the parent is frustrated, the children sense it.

When you feel that the demands for you and your children become unbearable, just stop, take a breath, and remind yourself that the perfect parent doesn't exist in reality and that the best you can give to your children is the kind of love that doesn't spoil. For everything else you can ask for help and advice from the true specialists. Parents are no more alone in their battle for the best education, the healthiest nutrition and the best quality products for children. In it they have for allies nurseries, kids' centres and kindergartens that combine the old traditions with the latest discoveries in pedagogics, and the manufacturers of stylish and safe clothes and shoes, and of toys that educate and help the child to have fun and to develop his or her imagination.

Because, like in everything else, quantity is not important. Quality is what matters.

Toys and clothes by Steiff: The best friend of generations of children

Who doesn't love the classical teddy bears by Steiff, the toy immortalised by Winnie-The-Pooh? Happily to all parents who are aware of how important are quality children's products, Steiff's teddy bears and other toys can already be bought from the company's first representative store in Eastern Europe (Sofia, 2 Maria Louisa Blvd, TsUM, phone: +359 988 974 137, FB: Steiff BG, official opening on 21 March 2017). Here you will discover not only the beloved teddy bears, but also a variety of other toys, and baby and children clothes. Each product with the Steiff brand is beautiful, comfortable and safe. The company voluntarily applies the highest possible standards, uses only safe textile dyes and the best quality materials. It produces the fabrics for the toys of the finest natural fibres (mohair, alpaca) and synthetic fibres (plush, pelz) in its own fabric factory at Duisburg, Germany. This makes its toys incredibly soft and durable, they are all machine washable and with safety eyes. The stuffings of the plush toys are completely safe, too. The baby's products are made of organic cotton without optical bleaches and allergens. Steiff applies the same high standards in its collection of baby and children clothes, that are suitable for every day and occasion. With original Steiff products you can make happy not only children: Steiff's Classic Collection and Limited Editions products are intended for adult collectors only. They are made of finest mohair and alpaca, are mostly 5-way jointed, many of them greet you with a cute growl. A wonderful present for any occasion.

Cosmos-Kids English language nursery and kindergarten: Good early education matters

Multicultural environment, intensive study of English and other foreign languages, sincere desire for more knowledge and self-improvement: these are only few of the things that receive the children at Cosmos-Kids English Language Nursery and Kindergarten (Sofia, 48 Georgi Georgiev – Gets St, phone: +359 884 948 069, www.cosmos-kids.org). The professionals at Cosmos-Kids are aware how important are such skills and attitudes for the future successful development of the child in the global world. They offer a programme completely in the English language, in accordance with the requirements of the European campaign for early language education, and provide complete care for their students. Kids at Cosmos-Kids study in small groups and receive personal attention from the teachers and assistants, and additional classes in sport, different kind of arts and social communication.

Private kindergarten Hermann Hesse: Dedication and excellent conditions

The Hermann Hesse Private Kindergarten (Sofia, Druzhba, 63 Tirana St, phone: 02 494 0055, 0889 516 363, www.hesse-kindergarten.eu) is a part of the modern and innovative German-speaking community bearing the name of the famed writer. The study of the German language and of the other offered languages is after a method that borrows from different methods – Dr Lozanov's Suggestopedia, Montessori, Helen Doron, Waldorf, – but does not completely mirror any of it. During half of the time, outside the periods of eating, sleeping, physical and other activities, children completely immerse in foreign-language environment and get used to the sound of the language. Through games, stories, dramatisations, original songs and music, the training imitates the natural process of learning the mother tongue. It is multisensory, acquired not only via sound and vision, but also via imagination, movement and feeling, each time coming to life through poetry, art or drama, and specifically selected classical music pieces.