How much has the Netherlands rubbed off on your parenting style? Quite a bit? Helaas pindakaas….

1. Your baby was born at home. Or you at least nurtured the idea of giving birth to your baby at home until Mother Nature intervened and forced you to sulkily head off to hospital.

2. Hagelslag is a staple foodstuff in your kitchen cupboard and a regular exhibit on your children’s breakfast table.

3. You have at least one child seat attached to your bike, or are the proud owner of a bakfiets. Placing multiple children on your bike between your grocery shopping and a bouquet of flowers without mishap comes as naturally to you as breathing.

4. Routines rule in your house when it comes to bedtime.

5. You take your children to school on two wheels, or on two feet, and on those cold winter mornings when it’s too icy to cycle you load your children onto a sledge.

6. HAVO, MBO, VWO, HBO, WO, PSZ, BSO and CITO don’t faze you in the slightest.

7. There’s a papadag or a mamadag scheduled into your work calendar.

8. Pancakes heaped with poedersuiker and stroop constitute dinner.

9. You own an impressive array of paracetamol products of varying strengths, sizes and shapes to stick in any possible orifice. No matter which of your children is ill, you are armed and ready.

10. There’s not a helicopter in sight when it comes to your parenting style.


bakfiets photo credit: 2015 – Amsterdam – Cargo Bike via photopin (license)

Amanda van Mulligen

Amanda van Mulligen is a mother, writer and expat. In that order. She is British-born but has called the Netherlands home since 2000. She is 'mama' to three boys, and blogs about her expat way of living, loving and parenting over at Turning Dutch. You can find out more about her on her Facebook Page or follow her on Twitter.