10 Reasons To Love Being Knocked Up in the Netherlands

Being pregnant anywhere is a mixed bag of emotions from elation to sickness. Raising children abroad is both amazing and challenging wrapped up in one awkward shaped parcel. If you are knocked up in the Netherlands though you have many reasons to count yourself lucky. Here are ten.

1. Pregnancy is not seen as a disease 

When that cross appears after you've peed on that stick you aren't ferried off to the nearest doctor or hospital. Instead you choose a midwife and, if all is progressing well with your pregnancy, you have all your pre-natal appointments with your midwife.

2. You may give birth where you like

Around a third of births in the Netherlands are home births. You can choose a hospital if you wish, or even a kraamhotel - a birthing hotel, or you may opt for a home birth. Unless there is a medical reason (in which case you must give birth in a hospital) you are free to choose where you give birth.

3. You get a box of goodies sent to your house

As you near the end of your pregnancy you will receive a kraampakket, sent by your health insurer. Okay so there's a naval clamp in there, alcohol of the none drinking kind, more mattress protectors than is healthy to wonder about, and lots of cotton wool related items for soaking up the mess. But hey you still get to feel like a kid at Christmas when a big box arrives with your name on it. Just don't try and work out what it is all for......

4. Nobody bats an eye when you are still cycling 8 months into your pregnancy

Nothing, and I mean nothing, separates the Dutch from their bikes. Growing a baby in your buik is not a valid reason to stop cycling - in fact the advice is keep moving - you are having a baby, you're not ill! See reason number 1....

5. The Netherlands is child friendly 

It is seriously child friendly. There are playgrounds on every corner. There are schools in every direction you walk. The country is littered with pancake restaurants. Do I need to go on?

6. The Dutch are raising some of the happiest children in the world 

If you could pick any country in the world to raise your children you could do far worse than the Netherlands. Year after year the Dutch come out around the top of happiness surveys, with children showing the rest of us just how happy you can be.

7. You get kinderbijslag 

That's child allowance to you and me. If you live or work in the Netherlands and have children under the age of eighteen then you are probably entitled to child allowance, paid quarterly directly into your bank account. It helps. It really does.

8. Your cupboards fill up with chocolate things

It's near on impossible to raise children in the Netherlands without ending up with hagelslag (sprinkles) and chocolate spread stocked in your kitchen cupboards. I tried to resist. For years I was strong. But the peer pressure is strong and eventually you will succumb. It all goes on bread. Just go with it.

9. You live with mini language teachers

Your children will speak better Dutch than you by the time they are three years old. And they are proud to let you know that by correcting EVERY. DAMN. THING. YOU. SAY.

10. Kraamzorg
I left the best for last. Kraamzorg - a maternity nurse in your home after the birth. I love, love, love kraamzorg. In my humble opinion it should be made illegal for countries not to provide new mothers with kraamzorg. But hey, who am I? I have experienced kraamzorg three times (I also wrote about it in Dutched Up!), and every time was a unique, but amazing experience.

If you want to read more about kraamzorg then get your copy of Knocked Up Abroad Again. My story tells much more about the best thing about a Dutch birth.

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Explore Paleis Soestdijk

Whilst a new purpose is being considered for Soestdijk Palace, it is open to visitors. And it's well worth a visit.

It used to be the working palace of Queen Juliana, the mother of Princess Beatrix, the grandmother of the current king of the Netherlands.

From the smoke stained walls of Prince Claus's study to the family photos of princesses in their childhood prime, the palace gives a fascinating, historical glimpse into the life of the Dutch monarchy. 

The grounds are beautiful to walk around and there's a speurtocht for the children, which gets them uncovering places and facts about the palace and the family that lived in it.

If you haven't been then go whilst you can!

I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking!

Saying Goodbye to My Consultatiebureau

“I started working here eight years ago and I can still remember the day you walked in for the very first time – a newborn baby in your arms. A brand new mother,” said the lady at the front desk of the consultatiebureau to me at the end of my last visit.

I can’t even begin to count the number of times I have set foot inside my local consultatiebureau since 2007. But the woman who has weighed and measured all three of my sons over the space of eight years gave me reason to stop and reflect on my visits there; the same woman who remembers the name of my eldest son despite his last consultatiebureau visit being four years ago.

Little Steps to the Basisschool

If you are living in the Netherlands your child can start attending primary school at the age of four. All three of my children are now in various stages of primary school but for each one of them making the leap from peuterspeelzaal to the basisschool was a big one. So here's my story about how we tried to make it easier.

Flying the Dutch Flag

Should you be in the Netherlands on King's Day you'll notice flags out in force in the Dutch streets, hanging from flag poles attached to the houses. We don't have a flag holder on our house, nor do we own a Dutch flag to hang even if we did... but I did stumble upon "general flag instructions in Zoetermeer" on the internet and was quite surprised by the rules around flag flying around here.

7 Places to Explore in the Netherlands Beyond Amsterdam

There is so much more to the Netherlands than Amsterdam, despite the bulk of the tourists heading to the Dutch capital. Exploring beyond Amsterdam is definitely worth it. Here are 6 Dutch places that should be on your travel itinerary if you come to the Netherlands.

5 Dutch Foods You Need to Try

Food is an important part of a country's culture. Every country has different foods associated with it. Think British and you think fish and chips. Think Indonesia and you think nasi goreng. Think Germany and you think sausage. You get the picture. If I say the Netherlands what food springs to mind? Probably cheese. But there's much more to taste than cheese in the land of the Dutch. Here are five Dutch foods worth trying - and some of them you can make yourself at home.

Football in the Netherlands: The Men in Orange

The UEFA European championship has just finished, with weeks of football matches being played at the highest level. England crumbled, Iceland amazed, France dominated until Portugal surprised them, and Germany, being Germany, just kept winning, until they didn't. And where was the Netherlands? Where was the orange that usually decorates the stadiums at major football events? Nowhere. The Dutch team failed to qualify for the Euros 2016, and that hit fans of the boys in orange hard. 

Football is a national Dutch sport. It's one of the most popular sports in the country, if not the most popular. And that's saying something because the Dutch are incredibly competent at sports, excelling in a number of different events - such as ice skating competitions and hockey. The Dutch medal count at the last winter Olympics tells you a lot about their sporting prowess on ice. It's all very impressive in a land so small. 

So the lack of orange in this years European football tournament was a massive dissapointment. In fact, it was such a disappointment that the Dutch appeared to try and pretend there was no football competition at all this year...... the oranjegekte was certainly missed!

It's in stark contrast to the success of the Dutch team in the 2014 World Cup finals where they came home with the bronze medal, and in 2010 when they were runners up to Spain. Back in 1988 the Dutch were European champions. 

So since 2014 things have gone seriously downhill with the Dutch national football team and for a country with a rich footballing history, and an attractive top class national football league it's been a time for soul searching and questions.

The national team played their first international game in 1905, against Belgium in front of a crowd of 800. These days the national team can pull up to 8 million television viewers when they compete in the Euros or a World Cup (note that is not far off half the population of the Netherlands). 

The next international games that the Netherlands play will determine whether they qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. And the nation is hoping that this will end more successfully than their bid to play in the 2016 Euros..... Football runs through the veins of many a Dutchman, woman and child.

The KNVB (Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbal Bond (Royal Netherlands Football Association)), the national football union, had 1,227,157 members as of 2015. The union obtained it's royal status in 1929, but the origins of the organisation date back to 1889. 

Paid football was introduced in the Netherlands in 1954 and women's football became an official part of the KNVB in 1971. 

The national league of the Netherlands, the Eredivisie, came to be in 1956, although the national championship had been competed for officially since 1898. Once the Eredivisie was established the best teams from across the country started playing against each other, dispersing with the regional leagues that had existed up until that point. Ajax was the first winner of the Eredivisie, and much to the distaste of football fans in Rotterdam, the Amsterdam based team has also won it many times since.

18 clubs compete for the national title in the Eredivisie, and it has a good reputation in the international footballing arena. It's been a breeding pool for many top Dutch players such as these names:

Johan Cruijff, Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Ronald Koeman, Dennis Bergkamp, Philip Cocu, Frank de Boer, Edwin van der Sar, Clarence Seedorf, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Rafael van der Vaart, Dirk Kuijt and Robin van Persie. 

I grew up spending many of my Saturday afternoons, and Tuesday evenings, on the terraces of Vicarage Road, the home of Watford FC in England. When I moved to the Netherlands I didn't start supporting a local club until my eldest son was eight. I'd already taken him to his first English Premiership game to watch Watford, but until last season we hadn't got involved with any Dutch club.

That has now changed. I have the football bug once more and for many of the Eredivisie home games of ADO Den Haag at least one of my sons and I can be found in the Kyocera Stadion in The Hague. We'll be there next season too. We'll be hoping for success for our local team - and for the national team too.

Welcome to our Olympics for Kids series! The Olympics are a wonderful opportunity to teach kids about the world and explore cultures together.

Today, you can find more about other sports/games from various countries thanks to our participating bloggers:

Exploring Indonesian Badminton - Multicultural Kid Blogs
Popular Summer Sports in USSR - Creative World of Varya 
Handball, France and the Olympics - Lou Messugo
Capoeira: a martial art with a great beat - Brynn in Brazil
The big 3: soccer, rugby, cricket - Globe Trottin' Kids
Copa América: We Are the Champions - La clase de Sra. DuFault 
Football in the Netherlands: The Men in Orange - Expat Life with a Double Buggy 
Summer sports in Latvia - Let the Journey Begin
Valuable Lessons From The Olympic Sports to Kids - Hispanic Mama
Fencing with Ibtihaj Muhammad - Kid World Citizen
Puerto Rican Olympians - Discovering the World Through my Son's Eyes   

Don't forget that you can also download our Summer Games Unit activity pack to learn more about the world and have fun during the Olympics.

5 Beaches to Visit From The Hague

The school holidays have arrived and the beach is surely on the wish list of every child this summer. The good news is that if you live in or around The Hague you have an excellent choice of beaches to explore. So get your bucket and spades, sun cream and a picnic ready and head off to one of these sandy locations.

Expat in the Netherlands Study: Your Help Needed

Tessa Rutten is a Research Master student in Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam. She is currently writing her Master's thesis, which focuses on expats in the Netherlands. 

If you are a foreign national working/studying in the Netherlands you can help by answering a few questions. 

Tessa explains the purpose of her thesis and this survey: 

"I am conducting a study on the adjustment process to living in the Netherlands. The aim is to get a better understanding of the factors that could improve this process. The results can be used to tailor the offered support and potentially improve the work and study experiences of expats and international students in the Netherlands. 

So, if you are currently working or studying in the Netherlands and have a non-Dutch nationality and citizenship, your response would greatly be valued! The anonymous survey, which will take around 10 minutes to complete, can be accessed through the following link:  

https://qtrial2014.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6fDy8wcqpRnmBuZ"

Dutched Up! Book Review: Jo Parfitt, She Say Yes!

It's always a bit nerve wracking when you ask someone you respect to review a book. It's always a bit of a gamble when you ask someone who is a bit of a celebrity in the expat writing world to take a look at an expat anthology and then give her honest opinion. But that's what happened recently when Olga of The European Mama asked Jo Parfitt to take a peek at the Dutched Up! book.

And it's a bit like waiting for the man from Del Monte......




Luckily Jo Parfitt, she say yes too!

"I loved it. I devoured every story. They were compelling, well-written and entertaining."

Jo has more than thirty books to her name and is one of the Summertime Publishing team members. She provided me with the springboard I needed to follow my passion to become a writer when I attended one of her workshops in a beautiful farmhouse in Voorschoten many years ago - the rest, as they say, is history. And as it was with Jo that my writing career started, I felt particularly honoured to also get a mention in the review.

"I'm a grumpy and cynical old goat, jaded too, from reviewing too many mediocre books, but this one, I promise you, is a goodie."

Jo Parfitt, Dutched Up! Review

So, if you have not yet got your hands on your own copy of Dutched Up! it's really time you did. Seriously. Don't take my word for it...... read what Jo has to say over on Summertime Publishing.


 

Dutched Up! is also available on Book Depository!

Everything You Need to Know About King's Day in the Netherlands (And Some Stuff You Probably Don't Need to Know)

This week sees the Dutch putting on their party clothes and heading out en masse on to the streets.  If this is your first King's Day, then you are in for a treat. For the more seasoned expats I'm guessing nothing surprises you on King's Day anymore.

The Why

King's Day is a national celebration of the Dutch King's birthday. Think of it as a birthday party which Willem-Alexander invites the whole country to.

The What

"Oh oh, did you say Dutch birthday party?" I hear you ask. I did, but don't panic, there are no chairs or circles involved in the King's party. Well, at least not that the general public gets to see. There is a possibility that once Willem-Alexander has finished his public duties he returns to the palace, places his throne strategically in a circle of posh chairs and awaits the servings of soggy crackers and coffee. But no fear, you have no role to play in this merriment.

Instead you get to dress up and attend the biggest annual street party you'll see in the Netherlands.  

The Beauty of the Dutch Flower Fields

At the weekend we decided to take a drive over to the flower fields near Lisse in the Noord-Holland province. It's a sight that even after fifteen years never fails to instil awe. The Dutch flower fields are beautiful. Truly mesmerising. If you haven't yet visited the fields in full bloom, put it on your travel bucket list.

True to Dutch spring form we had to dodge the showers, but when the sun made an appearance it was well worth the wait. 

A Visit to the Science Center NEMO in Amsterdam

Have you been to Science Center NEMO in Amsterdam yet? Well, if you haven't then putting it on your to do list is a must, particularly if you have curious children who wonder how the world around them works.

We visited just before Easter and my three sons loved it (they are 9, 5 and 4). The museum is a showcase of science and technology and great for children to understand the how, why and what.

They can do experiments in a laboratory, discover the science behind emotions and the human mind, learn about space and water power and there's a special exhibition about teens running at the moment for those of you with hormonal older children. And lots lots more. The whole centre is highly interactive, fun and educational.

During the weekend of the 23rd and 24th of April there's even more reason to check out Science Center NEMO It's the grand opening of the Energetica exhibition on the museum rooftop and entry to the museum is free. Expect it to be busy though (remember the importance of gratis in the Netherlands?)!

The museum is within walking distance of Amsterdam Central Station.

I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking!

Why You Should Visit the Dutch Town of Medemblik

Ever been to Medemblik? It's in North Holland, nestled peacefully on the banks of the IJsselmeer, which is the largest lake in West Europe. My family spent a long weekend there last week at the start of the school spring break - and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised about just how lovely it is in that area.

9 Not So Serious Tips to Help You Use Public Transport in the Netherlands

The public transport system in the Netherlands is in general good. There are buses, trams, metros and trains to help you make your way across the length and breadth of this small nation. But what do I know, I grew up with British Rail so anything seems good in comparison.

1. Get Yourself an OV Chipkaart
Those of you who were in the Netherlands prior to the dawn of the OV Chipkaart will remember having to travel with a strippenkaart. Thankfully, that is now obsolete. It was one of the most convoluted elements about travelling on public transport in the Netherlands. You needed to know how many transport zones you were travelling through (and then add one, double it, half it and guess which number I first thought of) to pre-stamp the paper strip; that was if your strippenkaart wasn't in at least two pieces because it was long so you had to continually fold it multiple times to get it in your purse/wallet/handbag/pocket and it tended to erode along the creases.

Dutch Football, Racism and The Wisdom of a Child

Dutch football has been tarred with scandal over the last few weeks and my local eredivisie club is no exception. When racism reared its ugly head at ADO Den Haag in January I decided to use it as a teachable moment for my eldest son.  As it turns out it was a teachable moment he didn't need - if only some other football supporters had the The Wisdom of a Child!

"(ADO Den Haag football club) is a community that was caught up in a scandal in January when a handful of fans chanted racist and insulting slurs against Ajax. There were two appeals over the loudspeaker to stop. It didn’t. It was disturbing. It was uncomfortable. This was happening at my club. Our club. I left the stadium with a bad taste in my mouth that, for once, wasn’t attributable to ADO’s defeat or on pitch performance." 

Head over to Passionate Parenting to read my latest article in its entirety......

Wednesday Afternoons for a Primary School Child - Dutch Style

In primary schools in the Netherlands children are off school every Wednesday afternoon. The idea is that it gives children time to do extra-curricular activities without cramming every afternoon after school full. 

Or they get together with school friends and play on the streets, build dens in the local park, clamber around in the mud and fall in the shallow sloot in shoes they've owned for less than two weeks...... and this expat mama wouldn't have it any other way! (Though my son will be paying for his next pair of shoes himself......) 

I am extremely grateful for Wednesday afternoons Dutch style.

Why The Dutch Refuse to Queue Like the English

Many years ago I read Watching the English by Kate Fox. It's a fascinating read if you are English, spend time with English people, or you just want to get to know us English folk a little better. There was a lot of penny dropping going on during my scurry through the chapters, lots of thigh slapping and "So THAT's why"...... in fact it's probably time for a reread as the book has been revised and updated!

The English, as a nation, are polite. Very very polite. It makes dealing with some of the more blunt Dutch manners even harder for English expats than some other nationalities. However, an American reader got in touch about the annoyance he feels at the lack of queue etiquette in the Netherlands. Ahh, I thought, a pet topic of mine! I am English, therefore I queue.

Dutch Women Do Get Depressed

All the studies and blog posts you read say otherwise, but I can assure you that Dutch women do get depressed.

Go on, Google it, type in "Dutch Women Don't Get Depressed". I'll wait. You see, if you believe what Google comes back with you would think that Dutch women float around the Netherlands with huge grins on their faces whilst their extremely happy children skip along next to them holding their hand.

Oh sure, Dutch women have a lot to be delighted about. The majority works part-time so has time for leisure activities - like sitting on cafe terraces sunning themselves in the summer months, sports and volunteer jobs. They don't stress about careers - how they see themselves is not tied to the role they place in the workplace. Dutch women are not prepared to give up time with their families to climb a workplace hierarchy they have no interest in. The Dutch economy is a developed, relatively rich one and wealth is spread around more evenly than in many other countries. Dutch women are on the whole well-educated.  They have personal freedom and much choice as to how they live their lives. So, yes, Dutch women have a lot to be happy about - and that is reflected in the surveys and studies that hit the headlines every so often.

However, there's another side to all that delusional happiness that the press would have you believe rages in the Netherlands amongst the female population. Dutch women are actually people too. They have issues. They have problems. Gasp! I know. Shocking huh?

Yes, Dutch women can balance five children and a bunch of flowers on their bikes, but many have to expertly balance many other aspects of their lives too - just like women in other countries throughout the world.

Some Dutch women have marital problems and go through divorce.