tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post6900885798683435465..comments2024-01-26T02:50:31.892+01:00Comments on Turning Dutch: You Know You're An Expat Parent in the Netherlands When...Amanda van Mulligenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17328016562973171711noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-76276530599293870402015-03-12T19:49:08.527+01:002015-03-12T19:49:08.527+01:00This list made me laugh. I will have to do a reve...This list made me laugh. I will have to do a reverse at some stage. Bringing up my children in the UK (where our older two were born) felt very strange to me. I did not know any nursery rhymes (although I can sing St Maartens songs about cows with tails and the Dutch ABC, I have no common frame of reference for toddler TV programmes (what on earth are the Clangers all about!) and why on earth is poor Nijntje called Miffy. My mum sorted out Muisjes for our son's birth but she was dead by the time the girls were born so I missed out there. <br /><br />British people thought I was serving unhealthy food on playdates when I gave hagelslaag sandwiches and could not get their head around the sheer quantities of apple sauce I smother over everything. They are also very confused by my tendency to mash potatoes whenever possible. I have never worked out how British people make cheese sandwiches as they don't use a cheese slice. Grated cheese or big thick hunks just don't work for me. <br /><br />The dog muck is definitely not something I miss, some of the enduring memories of my childhood are the bellows of 'watch where you walk'.Ersatz Expathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03715056719284523304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-38761543151541606472015-03-11T16:37:12.194+01:002015-03-11T16:37:12.194+01:00Yes, I saw your post on the British education syst...Yes, I saw your post on the British education system- it's a tough one for sure!!! And yes, the maternity nurse was certainly one of my favourite parts of childbirth here 😀Amanda van Mulligenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17328016562973171711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-65856758161496144372015-03-11T16:35:15.360+01:002015-03-11T16:35:15.360+01:00Ha ha that made me smile!! Nothing like being fore...Ha ha that made me smile!! Nothing like being forewarned when you're going to be ambushed with sprinkles :-)Amanda van Mulligenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17328016562973171711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-4846187641382210482015-03-11T15:32:15.220+01:002015-03-11T15:32:15.220+01:00I love lists like this and must get around to doin...I love lists like this and must get around to doing one about France. My son went on a school trip to The Hague recently, staying with a host family, and thanks to blogs like yours and a few others in Holland, I warned him he might have sprinkles for breakfast and he was delighted on the first morning when he was offered them. He knew what to expect thanks to you! N° 14 is certainly something I can relate to in France, we have the same problem! #expatlifelinkyPhoebe @ Lou Messugohttp://www.loumessugo.com/en/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-1545749680370882752015-03-11T07:45:16.339+01:002015-03-11T07:45:16.339+01:00Fab! Can relate to 6 and 9 and I love number 3. I ...Fab! Can relate to 6 and 9 and I love number 3. I remember being told that before and couldn't believe it!!Meg Fennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17631716851851489783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-18284717489197762052014-01-23T14:15:36.189+01:002014-01-23T14:15:36.189+01:00Great list, I really enjoyed reading all of these!...Great list, I really enjoyed reading all of these!Jonathanhttp://dadsthewayilikeit.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-11989114994896849632013-09-24T21:15:04.906+02:002013-09-24T21:15:04.906+02:00Hi Amanda,
Great post.
I would add: You take your...Hi Amanda,<br />Great post. <br />I would add: You take your child to their pre-school activities and can't sing along with any of the songs, even though some of the tunes are familiar.<br />Colleenhttp://www.careerinyoursuitcase.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-4963123718601443142013-09-24T14:48:26.371+02:002013-09-24T14:48:26.371+02:00Ha ha ha!
You think its normal to let your 3 ye...Ha ha ha! <br /><br />You think its normal to let your 3 year old ride his bike into the main city centre with you and to let them wander out onto a frozen lake with a small chair..... <br /><br />Your Dutch raised child questions why the train is so expensive in the UK ;)<br /><br />Or why there are so many fat people who look like potatoes ....<br /><br />In the UK he can't buy the licorice he loves nor does chocolate milk taste the same :( <br />Nicola McCallhttps://www.facebook.com/LiveLifeNowCoaching?fref=tsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-76311680284913731252013-05-09T07:33:48.719+02:002013-05-09T07:33:48.719+02:00Great post Amanda! Yes, number 14... every week in...Great post Amanda! Yes, number 14... every week in the beginning when we lived here... <br />Being Belgian, we also eat sprinkles on bread! :-)<br />I like the cycle paths here, the cheese, the water (I like kitesurfing), the directness of the Dutch people and much more.<br />What I miss are big supermarkets and hills, everything is so "flat". <br />JiLaJoJoKa in Zwedenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11331418196455269980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-35607830702185905922012-10-22T15:10:43.878+02:002012-10-22T15:10:43.878+02:00Our kinderarts was partial to that too Cathy!! :-)...Our kinderarts was partial to that too Cathy!! :-)<br />Amanda van Mulligenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17328016562973171711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-49123750697344889732012-10-22T11:32:06.598+02:002012-10-22T11:32:06.598+02:00Our GP is partial to nose spray...Our GP is partial to nose spray...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12871495333935025853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-78599717990145172472012-09-24T16:21:38.901+02:002012-09-24T16:21:38.901+02:00I have another one: your definition of "good ...I have another one: your definition of "good weather" changes from "sunshine" to "no rain". No, you're not being fussy. Dutch bread is just plastic and air, although the sweet stuff is pretty delicious!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14111500114926985493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-44787542168054695252012-09-24T13:48:10.747+02:002012-09-24T13:48:10.747+02:00oh every time..... that really is a Dutch thing!!oh every time..... that really is a Dutch thing!!Amanda van Mulligenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17328016562973171711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-34197599166000027582012-09-24T13:47:28.069+02:002012-09-24T13:47:28.069+02:00Bread! Yes, I thought that was me being fussy.... ...Bread! Yes, I thought that was me being fussy.... when I am back in England I notice how bad the bread I've been eating here has been then it fades again. Plastic with air... good description I think!<br /><br />I'm pretty sure as my 3 get older I will discover tons more differences...... <br /><br />Thanks for sharing.Amanda van Mulligenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17328016562973171711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-11350290496940382612012-09-24T13:42:06.229+02:002012-09-24T13:42:06.229+02:00Hahaha! Funny post!I see I'm not there yet: no...Hahaha! Funny post!I see I'm not there yet: no cycling, no my three year old's Dutch is not better than mine, we don't eat sprinkles on bread, but yes: I loved the kraamozorg, considered a homebirth, had no pain relief, and I have lots o Paracetamol in my drawer.I think I would add that your idea of bread is very different one from what the Dutch call bread- for me Dutch bread is plastic with air- I make my own one out of desperation. I guess I will have to wait some more to realize more of these points- my children are still little and don't go to school yet.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14111500114926985493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-66818998148166827762012-06-16T17:05:18.499+02:002012-06-16T17:05:18.499+02:00Yes, bread, bread and more bread for lunch!!! And ...Yes, bread, bread and more bread for lunch!!! And indeed, eating the cracker things with crunchy aniseed bits is certainly as Dutch as you can get - (three times blue for us!)<br /><br />Thanks for the encouragement Yorkshire Cloggy :-) and quite something that you stayed in NL anyway!!! Courageous for sure.Amanda van Mulligenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17328016562973171711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-29471789519086848722012-06-06T20:22:43.794+02:002012-06-06T20:22:43.794+02:00I love this list, it so made me chuckle, I agree w...I love this list, it so made me chuckle, I agree with every point! My only child was born in the Netherlands, but I am and remain very British. I'm torn every day between loving and hating certain things here, but apparently Dutch children are the happiest in Europe and I know it's a good place to bring up my son, even though I'm now alone with him.... keep up the great posts!Yorkshirecloggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151421471159431090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-12240448347582634942012-05-22T22:34:44.218+02:002012-05-22T22:34:44.218+02:00You consider serving "beschuit met muisjes&qu...You consider serving "beschuit met muisjes"(a kind of rusk with sprinklers with aniseed on the inside) to celebrate the birth of your child. Ofcourse pink and white for a girl and blue and white "muisjes" for a boy.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beschuit_met_muisjesDrieCulturenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02967917534503254138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798372697599428727.post-85949028796479304672012-05-21T21:06:34.556+02:002012-05-21T21:06:34.556+02:00You child asks for a boterham or worst for lunch i...You child asks for a boterham or worst for lunch instead of a warm home-cooked meal.Nomad Mom Diaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16294498972846341018noreply@blogger.com