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Getting used to Dutch customs

 

Ever find yourself confused about the seemingly unspoken Dutch customs surrounding birthdays and other social gatherings? You’re not alone! Delft MaMa Sandra Treviño, hailing from Mexico, shares with us some of her experiences navigating some of these Dutch customs alongside her two kids.

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Out with the old, in with the new: Reflecting on 2019 with Delft MaMa

Welcome to our now annual Out with the old, in with the new blog post as we say goodbye to 2019. We asked  Delft MaMa Chairwoman Meredith Mull Aggarwal to share an informal review of what we’ve done this year. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and enjoy a review of the year behind us before we look ahead in the year to come.

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The not-so-merry-and-bright side of the holiday season: The holiday blues

As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to know that it’s alright if you’re not feeling the joy that you’re “supposed to”. Though the holidays are meant to be a time of joy, the pressures and emotions that come with trying to fulfill that expectation can sometimes have the opposite effect. Add to that the isolation of being an expat, parenting responsibilities, workplace demands, social obligations… This can quickly become a formula for the worst time of the year. Read on to see what you can do to help relieve those holiday blues.

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Delftian Entrepreneurs: Eva Amaral of Multipaths Coaching

Uprooting your life and moving abroad is often an isolating and all-consuming experience, no matter how many times you may have done it before. The highs are high, but the lows are sometimes lower than you could have ever fathomed. 

Change is the only constant, as the trite cliche goes, but when life throws changes at you left and right, there’s little comfort to be found in dusty old cliches. That’s where I found myself before my conversation with Eva Amaral – weary and a tad emotionally disheveled after yet another move. Albeit, this time it was within the Netherlands, but far enough from Delft to register as a move away from “home.” 

Little did I know that an interview in which I was supposed to be finding out about Eva’s coaching business was just what I needed to go back to the core of what I want. Because that’s what Eva does, with warmth, honesty and a gentle nudge – she helps her clients make sense of their values in the midst of topsy-turvy lives.

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Legal Mom Column: Child Safety Online

Let’s face it—whilst being a supermom, there are some things that are completely out of our control. Child safety online is a constant worry for many parents. The Internet is the one place where a multitude of things can be hidden (from you) or given away to strangers by other people (including children!) who do not know any better.

In association with DelftMaMa, we have undertaken to deliver some practical tips and insights on what parents can do to protect their children online.

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Unity in Diversity: A Fresh Voice In Refugee Work

Increasing numbers of refugees entering the EU has sparked debates about helping them to successfully resettle into their new communities. Last year, Delft Mama Julia Candy interviewed some refugee families about their integration and how other Mamas could help on a more individual basis. Join us as Delft Mama Hagar Taha provides an overview of some organizations that serve refugees. She also shares an interview with the head of one such organization, Unity in Diversity.

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Infant Communication via Baby Sign Language

Have you ever looked at your baby and thought, ‘I’m sure you can understand every word I’m saying’?

Tiny babies want to communicate with their parents. But for the first year they lack the means to speak with us, in their first months they physically aren’t ready to produce words yet. What happens when your baby wants to tell you something but cannot get their message across? They get frustrated, they cry and tantrum.

 Read on to find out how to improve communication with your baby.

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Deciding to stop having more children: A parenting story

Welcome to the first blog post after the summer hiatus! Caroline Kappers brings us a thought-provoking piece about choosing to have, not have, or stop having, children. Each couple’s choice is an extremely personal one, and I thank Caroline for being open about their choice. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and happy reading. We look forward to hearing from you about this topic in the comments!

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Blasts from the past: revisiting the DMM blog’s gems

On April 18, 2016, Tarja van Veldhoven and Agnès Battlori Benet posted the very first post of the Delft MaMa blog. This April we’re celebrating the blog’s 3rd blogiversary!

I talked with some of our past editors about their experiences working with the blog and if they wanted to share some memorable posts for your reading pleasure. As I tried to map a timeline of people who helped run the blog, I quickly realized that while Tarja and later Marie were major coordinators of the blog, there were MANY contributors that helped keep the blog running smoothly. While I haven’t been able to track you all down, know that we appreciate you! Happy reading…

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Delftian Entrepreneur: Renny Wiegerink

Meet Renny

Renny Wiegerink of Auryn Acupunctuur en Advies voor vrouwen

Renny Wiegerink works with Dutch and expat women in her business, Auryn Acupunctuur en Advies voor vrouwen (Acupuncture and Advice for Women), which is based out of her home in Delft Noord. From the eastern part of the Netherlands, she moved to Delft 25 years ago. She knows how it feels to have to move around in a strange place/culture. A long-time collaborator with Delft MaMa, Renny values being able to share her experience and knowledge as a native Dutch person with expats.  When planning the Delftian Entrepreneurs Series for the DMM blog, I knew I wanted to start with Renny. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and join us!Read More »Delftian Entrepreneur: Renny Wiegerink

Expanding the family… a little differently this time

by Xenia Gabriel

Almost a half of all Dutch households own at least one pet. There are more than 2.5 million cats, and over 1.6 million dogs.  Hamsters, bunnies, guinea pigs are very popular too. So how do you go about getting a pet? And once you find him, or her, what do you actually do? Do you buy or adopt? How do you make sure they stay healthy, well fed and safe? What do you do if they wander away?

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Making your home in Delft: the results of the housing poll

When brainstorming blog post topics related to living in Delft, Delft Mama Xenia Gabriel and I quickly realized that there are so many aspects of the housing situation in Delft (and the Netherlands) that one post clearly wasn’t going to be enough. Xenia’s post in October provided the start of the housing series, giving an overview of finding a home as an expat family in Delft. In order to get a sense of more experiences of the Delft Mama community, I set up a very short poll for people to respond to. Read on as I summarize the results of the housing poll.
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