Hearts and Handlebars

It's the last ride of Season 1 — and Anna has something to set the record straight. After a comment in the previous episode suggested she might have found her own mum's approach to motherhood "stifling," she's back on the cargo bike with Zena to correct the record: her mum is actually the blueprint. In this cherry blossom-dusted season finale, Anna and Zena reflect on the women who shape us across...

On this Hearts and Handlebars school run, Anna and Zena swap the cargo bike for Zena’s own wheels and road‑test what cycling proficiency really teaches kids – and all the crucial things it doesn’t. From wobbling past colleges in the wind to negotiating busy junctions and impatient cyclists behind them, they talk through the unwritten rules that quietly make everyday family cycling safer: being pre...

A school run, a missing orange cap and a hunt for seagull sounds turn into something much bigger in this episode of Hearts and Handlebars, a parenting podcast about modern motherhood and (double shift) working mums. As BBC journalist Anna Holligan and her daughter Zena pedal through The Hague, they talk about three generations of mums in their family – a great‑grandmother who worked only in her hu...

It’s crazy hair day at school – but what happens when you’re the parent who forgets? Climb into the cargo bike for a chilly Dutch school run as Anna and Zena navigate pipe‑cleaner ponytails, Fuzetea bottle “juice hair” and the emotional gymnastics of getting everyone out the door on time. Whizzing past yellow cars, toy poodles and debates about bike traffic lights, they unpack what real friendship...

Dutch kids are the happiest on earth, but the Netherlands is slipping down the global happiness charts. What goes wrong between the carefree bike years and doomscrolling teen life?​ On this misty school run, we ride through the six “secret ingredients” of Dutch childhood—independence, bikes, low-pressure school, calm routines, community and strong policy—then slam into the teen years, social media...

On this school run, Donald Trump takes a swipe at dyslexia during Neurodiversity Week – and my nine-year-old dyslexic daughter is having none of it. We dive into how dyslexic brains really work, and why problem‑solving, empathy and a fierce sense of right and wrong are quiet superpowers. From Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs to a Charlotte’s Web casting twist, we unpack labels, stereotypes and what...

On this ride, Anna and Zena start with hair, hurry and the tiny acts of independence that make or break a school‑run – and end up in a much bigger conversation about race, language and how kids learn what’s “ok” to say. They talk about why curly hair matters, why mums nag about not wasting a life on appearances, and the awkward classroom moments when “black”, “brown” and “rude” get tangled togethe...

On this bright, frosty school run in The Hague, Hearts and Handlebars dives into how to talk to kids about war, scary news and the US–Israel strikes on Iran—without crushing their sense of safety. From cherry blossom, new fringes and favourite flowers to forgotten mouthguards and school‑newspaper book reviews, journalist‑mum Anna Holligan uses a real‑time cargo‑bike ride with her nine‑year‑old to...

A real‑time school‑run parenting conversation from our Dutch cargo bike in The Hague about dyslexia, neurodiversity and keeping your own creative dreams alive between lunch boxes and laundry. A dead mouse, a Pringles‑box funeral plan and a drizzly dash through The Hague set the scene, as we end up in a surprisingly big chat about difference, doubt and doing the thing anyway. On the bike, Z calls m...

A misty, freezing school‑run parenting chat from our Dutch cargo bike in The Hague, all about gentle parenting, FAFO consequences and how kids actually experience our parenting styles. Missing gloves and damp curls kick off a conversation about the latest parenting “trend”: F‑around‑and‑find‑out parenting – the backlash to gentle parenting that says kids should simply suffer the consequences of th...

A wet, freezing school‑run parenting chat from our Dutch cargo bike in The Hague – the exact opposite of those 5am green‑juice, perfect‑parenting reels – with a hidden dog, toilet emergencies and a nine‑year‑old “truth pixie” calling me out. On this real‑time ride we talk about parenting without babysitters, relying on bike lanes and other parents, and what kids actually love about life in the Net...

A freezing school‑run parenting chat from our Dutch cargo bike in The Hague, all about kids’ independence, safety and anxious parenting during the “Beast from the East” snow. It’s snowing, it’s brutally cold, and on this real‑time ride we’re talking about the complicated dance between letting your kid be independent and keeping them safe. We cover rule‑breaker parent vs rule‑follower kid (how do k...

A freezing cold school‑run parenting chat from our Dutch cargo bike in The Hague, about kids’ friendship drama, Dutch cycling culture and what your job as a parent looks like when the weather – and the social dynamics – are freezing. It’s zero degrees, pouring with rain, and Marley the dog has snuck into the cargo bike again because Zena feels bad for him. On this real‑time ride we talk about what...

This is the episode where Hearts and Handlebars gets real in ways we didn't plan. Zena wakes up angry. She tells me straight: "I don't want to talk to you today." And she means it. What follows is a raw, unfiltered argument about rudeness, hypocrisy, and why she refuses to pretend everything's fine just because we're recording. The conversation gets uncomfortable: When a parent is rude and doesn't...

It's 8am on the bike, and Zena is practicing her script about Scottish haggis for a class presentation – while we're having a surprisingly clever conversation about what a school newspaper should actually cover. We dive into: The Brooklyn Beckham Instagram drama: when celebrity family conflicts become a cautionary tale about brand, boundaries, and "inappropriate dancing" What stories would actuall...

Real-time school run on the bike with a journalist and her daughter — toothbrush meltdowns, missing hairbands, a stolen rain cover and a cold, wet dash to school. Zena answer kids’ questions, debates Dutch theme-park choices, while Anna recalls an encounter with a kind stranger offering to help with recycling, and reminds you that showing up exactly as you are is more than enough. Hit follow and j...

Hearts and Handlebars is a school‑run parenting podcast recorded in real time on a Dutch cargo bike. BBC foreign correspondent and mum Anna Holligan and her nine‑year‑old daughter Zena share unscripted, honest conversations on the way to school – about parenting, work–life balance, kids’ emotions and everyday family life in The Hague. No studio, no scripts: just curious, real‑time, relatable and o...

Zena limps to school. Mum skips shower to save time. Join the morning chaos, hit follow, and ride along for imperfect routines, parenting moments, and everyday observations from the bike lane.

A frantic Dutch school run, a mum with 47% battery, and a daughter who turns a damp December bike ride into a conversation about fireworks bans, conscience and the pink‑and‑blue winter sky. In this pilot episode of Hearts and Handlebars, journalist Anna and her Year 5 co‑host Zena race to make the gates on time, talk about kids leaving early for cheaper flights, and wonder what it means to “do the...

In this episode Anna prepares to visit a newborn to report on Dutch kraamzorg for the BBC, reflects on Zena's dramatic birth and reveals how a tragic air disaster still touches their lives — a reminder that imperfect routines and showing up are more than enough.

A chaotic school‑run parenting chat from our Dutch cargo bike in The Hague, about kids’ privacy and boundaries, sneaking toys into school and the unexpected magic of Dutch cycling culture. It’s raining, Zena has forgotten her beloved troll, and on this real‑time ride we’re plotting something sneaky while talking about privacy, trust, acting and parenting. We cover why Zena refuses to let me tell t...