Dam Parenting

This month is about the conversations we don’t say out loud. I’m bringing in familiar voices and new ones to talk about maternal mental health, the reality of motherhood, and what it actually feels like beneath the surface. These are not easy conversations. They may feel uncomfortable at times. But they matter. Because motherhood can be both a gift… and one of the most draining, excruciating, iden...

Are you pregnant in the Netherlands — and not sure what your rights at work actually are? You are not alone. This is the most asked-about topic in international parent communities, and in this episode we finally get it answered properly — by an employment lawyer. Eva sits down with Ferline van Laerhoven, founder of Fair Line Law and Dutch employment law specialist, who has spent a decade working w...

If you've been carrying the weight of your child's minority language entirely on your own — this episode is going to change how you think about multilingual parenting. This week Eva is joined by multilingual family expert Eowyn to explore one of the most undertalked truths in raising bilingual children: you cannot do this alone, sustainably. Language lives in connection — not in one determ...

When I started moving beyond the easy first foods and into toddler snacks, pouches, crackers, and supermarket “healthy” options, I realised I had no idea what I was actually looking at. Why does one snack get a bright green A, while plain nuts or hummus score lower? How can the same crisps get a better Nutri-Score in the larger bag? And why are some brands now quietly removing their Nutri-Score al...

What if your second birth was so different from your first that it barely felt like the same experience? Vivi and Liam join me for something we haven't done before on Dam Parenting — both parents, together, sharing two births, two completely different outcomes, and the one thing that changed everything between them: preparation. Vivi is a Greek mum building her own community space in Amsterdam...

An episode over 2 years in the making, and finally it's here. It's not a full comprehensive episode, we dont want to bog you down with everything all at once, but Dr Marenne Van Hangel Budde joins Dam Parenting to discuss tthe foundational elements of the Netherlands health care system for children. We discuss why the system can feel confusing to immigrants, who is who in this system (Huis...

On Wednesday , I rereleased the episode with Dr. Koen Deurloo — the OB-GYN who pioneered the mother-assisted cesarean at Diakonessenhuis Utrecht. You saved it, shared it, and sent it to friends who needed it. Today, we hear from the other side of that operating table. Geri had her youngest child with Dr. Deurloo as her gynaecologist, and in this episode she walks us through everything — the moment...

April is International Cesarean Awareness Month — and I can think of no better time to bring back one of our most-loved episodes. In the Netherlands, the cultural weight around birth can make a cesarean feel like a deviation from the "right" path. But what if a C-section could still be a deeply empowering, connected, and beautiful birth experience? Dr. Koen Deurloo, OB-GYN at Diakonessen...

I thought I’d feel better by now. The days are longer. The light is back. But instead of feeling energised… many parents feel exhausted, heavy, and behind. In this episode, I’m sharing what it really feels like to come out of winter in motherhood— the emotional backlog, the pressure to re-engage, and why spring isn’t always a fresh start. If this is where you are right now, this episode is for you...

Cancer as an expat in the Netherlands hits differently. In this episode of DAM Parenting, we speak with Katherine, founder of Cancer Support Netherlands — a Dutch non-profit offering English-language, community-based support for internationals navigating cancer. Being diagnosed with cancer can turn life upside down. But for those living far from home — expats, immigrants, international families —...

You've just received an autism diagnosis for your child — and suddenly someone tells you to stop speaking your home language. For international families in the Netherlands, that advice doesn't just feel wrong. It feels like losing a piece of who you are. In this episode, Eva sits down with linguist and multilingualism specialist Mimi Potvin to talk about what the research actually says abo...

Becoming a mother is a total biological and psychological transformation, yet society often expects us to "bounce back" as if nothing happened. In this archive favorite, Eva continues the conversation on matrescence with Amsterdam-based doula Ilena Standring , focusing on the deeply personal topic of body image. We move past the superficial to have a warm, honest, and direct conversation...

Matrescence isn't a one-time event; it’s an ongoing evolution. In this special archive episode of Dam Parenting , we revisit a powerful conversation with Amsterdam-based doula Ilena Standring that is just as relevant today as it was two years ago. While many of us have now heard the term "matrescence," we often still struggle with the quiet, daily reality of feeling like we’ve lost o...

Why is it that 67% of mothers have never heard the word "matrescence," yet almost all of them are living through it? In this powerful and essential conversation, Eva sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Naomi Gibson to unpack the developmental process of becoming a mother. Much like adolescence, matrescence involves a massive rewiring of the brain, hormonal shifts, and a complete reo...

Parenthood rarely follows the script we imagine, but for families navigating a rare disease diagnosis, the shift can feel overwhelming. In this warm, honest, and direct episode for Rare Disease Day, Eva is joined by Sarah , who shares her family’s lived experience of parenting in the Netherlands through the lens of a rare condition. We move past the clinical details to discuss the "human&quot...

Montessori education is woven into the fabric of Dutch life, but it’s more than just wooden toys and minimalist aesthetics. In this top-10 replay for Montessori Education Week, Eva sits down with Simone Davies , world-renowned author of The Montessori Toddler and founder of Amsterdam’s Jacaranda Tree Montessori. We take a warm, honest, and direct look at how to bring these principles into your hom...

It starts with a simple request from a child to "put the phone away" and grows into a national conversation. In this episode of Dam Parenting , we explore the grassroots movement Smartphonevrij Opgroeien (Growing Up Smartphone-Free) and what it means for international families in the Netherlands. We take a warm, honest, and direct look at the research linking early smartphone use to anxi...

There's a specific kind of grief that nobody warns you about. Your child is thriving in Dutch. Their friendships are in Dutch. Their jokes are in Dutch. Their inner world is becoming Dutch. And somewhere in there, you are starting to feel like a stranger to the child you are raising. This episode is about that feeling. I sit down with Mimi Potvin from Growing Up Multilingual to talk honestly a...

Asian motherhood in the Netherlands comes with a unique set of pressures—from cultural expectations and career demands to the quiet, constant work of belonging. In this episode of Dam Parenting , Eva is joined by the founder of Second Steep , a community dedicated to Asian working mothers navigating life without a traditional map. We take a warm, honest, and direct look at the intersections of cul...

Children’s mental health is frequently discussed only when something feels "wrong," but what if it’s actually something we support through our daily relationships? In this episode of Dam Parenting , resident child psychologist Dr. Faye Poole provides a warm, honest, and direct perspective on emotional wellbeing. Moving away from labels and fear-mongering, we explore how connection acts a...

It’s the email every parent in the Netherlands dreads. In this warm, honest, and direct solo episode, Eva tackles the "itchy" reality of head lice with a mix of personal stories and hard facts. We’re breaking down the myths: hygiene has absolutely nothing to do with it, and lice are just as common in high schools as they are in primary classrooms. Eva explores the science of how lice act...

Starting school in a foreign language is a significant cognitive challenge, but it’s the emotional challenge that often weighs heaviest on our children. In this episode of Dam Parenting , Eva is joined by Mimi from ⁠Growing Up Multilingual⁠ to take a warm, honest, and direct look at why emotional language is a superpower for kids entering the Dutch school system. We debunk the myth that children &...

Between the "to-do" lists and the emotional demands of raising children abroad, joy can feel frivolous—but it’s actually sustaining. In this episode of Dam Parenting , we sit down with Eva, psychologist and founder of The Joy Embassy , for a warm, honest, and direct conversation about why joy is a vital parenting resource. We explore the 2026 landscape of parenting and how simple, resear...

Parenthood doesn't just change your schedule; it changes your soul. In this episode of Dam Parenting , Eva is joined by Ellen Johnson , founder of Evergreen Coaching & Consulting , for a warm, honest, and direct conversation about what happens when your career no longer fits the person you’ve become. Whether you’ve recently relocated to the Netherlands, stepped back from the workforce, or...

Raising a family far from home brings a mental load that few people talk about openly. In this episode of Dam Parenting , therapist Rachael Forster joins us to take a warm, honest, and direct look at the chronic stress and anxiety that high-functioning international parents often carry. We explore why living abroad keeps our nervous systems in "fight or flight" mode and how that constant...