We here at Amsterdam Mamas are big fans of biking in Amsterdam. It’s the way most of us get around with our kids and we think it’s one of the more special aspects of family life in the city (though maybe don’t ask us about it in a downpour with a bitter headwind). We also think it can be crazy and stressful, and a little alarming at times. Who thought it would be a good idea to allow scooters in the bike paths and why? And is it just our imagination, or are there really more and more bikes out there every day?

This episode is all about Amsterdam cycling: both the agony and the ecstasy of it. We talk to Henry Cutler, our go-to biking expert, about what makes Amsterdam biking so frustrating (*cough* scooters and tourists *cough*) and what makes it a joy (safety and infrastructure and, of course, babies on bikes!). Henry gives us the low-down on scooters in the bike lanes and explains why that scooter ban we keep hearing about hasn’t ever happened.  

Topics we cover include:

• Why scooters are the biggest cycling issue in Amsterdam.
• The surprising way scooters ended up in the bike lanes in the first place.
• The logistics of changing the law vs enforcing the law.
• Bicycle safety and whether it is dangerous to bike in Amsterdam.
• Is it possible to have too many cyclists in the city?
• The joys of biking as a parent in Amsterdam.
• What, if any, laws and regulations apply to cycling with kids.
• The two things every parent should make sure their bike is equipped with.

The one thing we don’t talk about? Helmets. That’s a topic for another day and another episode. We do, however, offer a cute segment in which Katherine and her daughter Olivia attempt to count bikes in Vondelpark and quickly reach the limits of a 3-year-old’s counting abilities. We also answer a listener question about bringing a grandparent from outside the EU to live in Amsterdam.

About our guest: Henry Cutler is the founder of WorkCycles and a cycling enthusiast. After moving to the Netherlands from the U.S., he became so enamored with the Dutch approach to cycling that he quit his corporate job and began building and designing bikes. He now sells his bikes, not just to Amsterdammers, but to customers all over the world from the WorkCycles in the Jordaan. You can find out more about Henry and read about all things cycling on his blog Bakfiets En Meer. 

This is the final episode of our fourth season. We have big changes coming up, and we’re excited to introduce our new co-host, Nerissa Muijs, and sad to say goodbye to our podcast’s founder, Donna Bardsley. Katherine and Nerissa will be back in August with season five!

Shownotes:

Workcycles

Dutch immigration information

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Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find The Amsterdam Mamas Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or on your favorite podcast app.

For feedback, questions, or comments on this episode, visit our Facebook Page or contact us at podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

Image use by permission from WorkCycles. 

The post S04E32: Sharing the Bike Path: Bikes and Scooters in Amsterdam appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

Anyone??

This episode is for all the imperfect parents. We introduce our theme for our fourth season, Imperfect in Amsterdam, by talking to parenting coach and Amsterdam Mama Alison Ochs about perfectionism and parenting. We explore the pitfalls, cultural taboos, and the reality of parenting while also being human. Topics we cover include:

• What it is truly like to accept our imperfections and why is it important?
• When you mess up, then what?
• How your child’s idea of the perfect parent is often at odds with what they really need
• The good and bad of the parenting perfection code today
• Why you are the perfect parent for your child

We also answer a few totally legit listener questions about the behind the scenes operations of producing a podcast.

Allison Ochs is a former social worker and teacher, and now the founder of EDIT change management, where she runs seminars and coaches on all aspects of parenting and family life, specializing in helping teens. She also blogs about being raised as one of eleven children, linking these stories with parenting today, and about all aspects of expat life. Find Allison at EDIT change management and on Facebook at Editcm.

Show notes:

Going on holiday soon? Support Amsterdam Mamas by using booking.com/amsterdammamas to book your accommodations!

Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find The Amsterdam Mamas Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or on your favorite podcast app. Please leave us a rating us on iTunes.

For feedback, questions, or comments on this episode, visit our Facebook Page or contact us at podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

The post S04E26: So You’re Not Perfect, Now What? appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

In this episode, we sit down with Eowyn Crisfield, a local expert in bilingualism and bilingual education programs, to find what’s going on below the surface of bilingual education. We explore the concept of language status and how (often unexamined) bias hurts some children but benefits others, and how bilingual education can, and should, benefit all children.

Topics covered include::

• What to do when things don’t go to plan with your child’s language acquisition
• What is meant by language status and elite bilingualism
• Which factors influence bilingual outcomes for children
• How bilingual language programs are ‘additive’ or ‘subtractive’ and how to tell the difference
• How teacher training programs are lacking when it comes to bilingual education
• What the Dutch government recently decided about language rights for children
• Practical advice for parents

Eowyn Crisfield is a specialist in bilingualism and bilingual education and has over 20 years experience researching and teaching in the field of applied linguistics. She is the founder of Crisfield Educational Consulting and currently provides language support training programs for schools as well as family language planning services for parents. She also facilitates seminars on bilingualism in Den Haag and Amsterdam (check her website for upcoming dates). 

Show notes:

OnRaisingBilingualChildren (blog on issues in bilingualism)

Crisfield Educational Consulting Facebook page

Booking.com/amsterdammamas

Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find The Amsterdam Mamas Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or on your favorite podcast app. Please leave us a rating us on iTunes.

For feedback, questions, or comments on this episode, visit our Facebook Page or contact us at podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

The post S04E27: Privilege and Paradox in Bilingual Education appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

• Some statistics and misconceptions about eating disorders
• The protective aspects of Dutch culture when it comes to body image issues
• Risk factors for body image and eating disorders
• The effects of social media on body image
• How to talk to your teens about body image and disordered eating
• How the Dutch healthcare system addresses eating disorder and at-risk individuals
• Resources for parents and teens

We begin this episode with a short segment explaining everything you need to know about cervical exams (pap smears) in the Netherlands. 

Dr Anisha Abraham is a pediatrician who has 20+ years experience helping young people with substance abuse, eating disorders, obesity, depression, and sexually-transmitted infections. She is currently on faculty at the University of Amsterdam and previously worked in the US and Asia. She also serves as a consultant in schools helping coach teens and their parents to handle stress and promote self-esteem and resilience. We highly encourage our listeners to check out Dr. Abraham’s TEDx talk ‘Demystifying Teens’ as well as her article Amsterdam Mamas article on sex education in the Netherlands.

Show notes: 

Nederlandse Acadamie Voor Eetstoornissen

Register of Dieticians in NL

Buro PUUR self-esteem training

Video on Cervical Screening Exams in the Netherlands

Information on cervical cancer screenings on the Dutch Public Health website

IAmExpat Fair 2017

Use booking.com/amsterdammamas to book your next holiday stay! 

Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find The Amsterdam Mamas Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or on your favorite podcast app.

For feedback, questions, or comments on this episode, visit our Facebook Page or contact us at podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

The post S04E28: Teens, Body Image, and Eating Disorders appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

I thought that burnout was just a fancy word for ‘I feel a bit stressed and I need the doctor to sign me off work’ and I didn’t really understand the severity of what was happening to me. – Amsterdam Mamas’ Director Emmy McCarthy

Have you or someone you know experienced a burnout? Or maybe you’ve wondered what exactly people mean when they talk about burnouts?

In this episode, we shine the light on burnouts and find out what we’re talking about when we talk about burnout in the Netherlands, as well as why we don’t talk about it more often. We explore the topic of burnouts from three different perspectives to help define burnouts and understand how burnouts affect members of our community.

First, we interview Dana Acherman, a huisarts and member of the AM community, to understand burnouts from a medical perspective. Next, our very own AM director Emmy McCarthy opens up about her own experience going through a burnout – she provides some advice for others experiencing a burnout and tells us what steps she took towards recovery. Lastly, we introduce our new co-host Nerissa Muijs. Nerissa discusses how her perspective changed after experiencing a burnout herself, as well as some thoughts about reintegration and resentment in the workplace.

Show Notes:

Information about burnouts on thuisarts.nl

Mentaal Vitaal 

Zelfhulp Wijzer 

Burnout information from Foundation Mirro

Call for submissions: We’re looking for fun stories about a language mishap, mispronunciation, or awkward ‘lost in translation’ situations to feature on a future episode. We’d love to feature yours! Record a quick message for us with the Amsterdam Mamas Podcast Recording Tool!

Book your next holiday with booking.com/amsterdammamas

Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find The Amsterdam Mamas Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or on your favorite podcast app.

For feedback, questions, or comments on this episode, visit our Facebook Page or contact us at podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

The post S04E29: What We’re (Not) Talking About When We (Don’t) Talk About Burnouts appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

We also hand over the mic to our Managing Director, Emmy McCarthy.  In this installment of our recurring segment, Emmy talks about advertising in the Facebook group and why Amsterdam Mamas made the decision to ban self-promotion.  

Show Notes

Hiraeth Magazine and Podcast

Booking.com/amsterdammamas

Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find The Amsterdam Mamas Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or on your favorite podcast app.

For feedback, questions, or comments on this episode, visit our Facebook Page or contact us at podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

The post S04E30: Around the World in Search of Home appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

We talk with a couple of Group 8 students in Amsterdam who are in the middle of touring potential secondary schools, and hear their perspectives on the entire process. 

We also hear from local blogger, Sarah Familia, about what it’s like as a parent to navigate the secondary school choice matrix with your child.

For our last interview of this episode, we sit down with Annebet Van Mameren of New2NL. Annebet is well known in the community for helping parents navigate the Dutch Education system. She discusses the CITO exam, and the debates surrounding the secondary education streaming system. We also hear about issues that are particular to the process in Amsterdam.    

Even in a highly educated country with competitive international rankings and with happy kids, education is still an imperfect, complex affair. This episode is a must for anyone navigating the Dutch Education system.   

Show Notes

New2NL (also on Facebook and Twitter: @New2nl)

Find Sarah’s blog at casteluzzo.com

Booking.com/amsterdammamas

Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find The Amsterdam Mamas Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or on your favorite podcast app.

For feedback, questions, or comments on this episode, visit our Facebook Page or contact us at podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

Image credit: Sarah Familia

The post S04E31: Choose Your Own Adventure: Navigating the Dutch Secondary School System appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

• LGBT family planning
• International adoption
• Different types of surrogacy
• Co-parenting, or shared parenting
• International family law
• Second parent adoption
• Paternity and parental rights

*Name has been changed for privacy

Show Notes

Meer Dan Gewenst

Expat Mortgages

Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find The Amsterdam Mamas Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or on your favorite podcast app.

For feedback, questions, or comments on this episode, visit our Facebook Page or contact us at podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

The post S03E23: From Pride to Papahood: a Rainbow Family Story appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

Daniel and Carla met in Brazil, where they began dating and then both ended up working in the IT industry. A job opportunity for Carla in Amsterdam opened up not only the option of a major international move, but also allowed them to make career and parenting choices based on what worked best for them.

In the less-common position of being a male “trailing spouse”, Daniel took the opportunity to switch careers and pursue writing by starting a blog (in Portuguese) about their life in Amsterdam. After their first child was born, Carla went back to work as the primary provider and Daniel stayed home with their infant daughter as the primary carer at home.

In this episode, we talk to Daniel and Carla about their decision to stay in Amsterdam to start a family, how they experienced gender norms in Brazil and the Netherlands, and discuss their views on parenting and gender norms.

Show Notes: 

Access-nl.org

Find Daniel at DucsAmsterdam, and on Facebook

Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find The Amsterdam Mamas Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or on your favorite podcast app. Please leave us a rating us on iTunes.

For feedback, questions, or comments on this episode, visit our Facebook Page or contact us at podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

The post S03E25: Don’t Call Him Mr. Mom: Thoughts from a Stay-At-Home Dad appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

Show Notes

Do you want to be on the Amsterdam Mamas podcast? 

This season we’re looking for content for the podcast and we want to feature you —  tell your stories and find out what it’s like for your family living in Amsterdam and the Netherlands.

We’re looking to hear from:

Single parents

Families who have recently moved to the Netherlands

Families with special needs

OR if there’s any other aspect that you feels makes your family unique, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re looking for both long form stories, short anecdotes, or just a quick statement about the advantages or disadvantages of living in the city with your family’s particular needs. If you can help us, please send us an email at podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

Psst! You can record your own short snippet directly on our website, right here!

Submit a question to the Amsterdam Mamas Podcast! 

If you have a question you’d like us to answer on the podcast, please send an email to podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find The Amsterdam Mamas Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or on your favorite podcast app.

For feedback, questions, or comments on this episode, visit our Facebook Page or contact us at podcast@amsterdam-mamas.nl.

The post S03E19: Amsterdam Mamas Is Five Years Old (Should We Get It a Smartphone?) appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.