I have read my posts again and realized a couple of things: among others that according to my posts I am the totally neurotic girlfriend with a totally cool boyfriend. Luckily, I still have friends, and people in general don’t mind me being around – relief.
But I also saw me mentioning Dutch and Holland in a pretty one-sided, maybe unfair manner. So, in fairness to the country and all 2-meters tall people I know, I need to say that many things during this trip made me realize how lucky I am to live and raise kids in Holland. Besides having the resources to be able to have and raise kids in the first place, which is not so obvious unforunately for everyone.
Before the trip I checked with the kids doctors if there is anything in particular I should be aware of during the trip. Without a single exception, all doctors and daycare professionals were extremely positive about the endeavour, repeating what a fantastic experience this will be for the kids and the family bonding. They all wished me ‘good holidays’, period. Not exactly the Greek way, where reactions were less enthusiastic and more of: ‘you must be crazy to bring a 5-month old in campings for two months’. It is not possible to avoid stereotyping again, but let’s say on average the Dutch way of raising kids puts way more emphasis on the enjoyment, freedom and parents sanity than on how often and in what way you clean the milk bottles and how often your kids need to eat solids. And this is obviously reflected on the kids, who learn to be free within limits, but still free, and independent. They learn to believe in themselves and their skills early on, trust their insticts, and are happy to see their parents laughing and not losing their mind because there is too much sand on their clothes.
Gioia learned to use the camping toilets being 3,5 years-old. Alex learned to sit unsupported on a dusty mat outside the camper. They both learned to sleep next to each other, within minutes after we put them to bed. Gioia told me she will miss having Alex next to her and asked if he can sleep sometimes in her room in Amsterdam (Sissy -> melting). I can definitely say this is all the result of the Dutch way of empowering parents to do what they feel is right for them and their kids. If it was me alone, we would definitely feed the kids with beef every day – something in the DNA of Greeks, that says meat only is good. Despite research proving the contrary, we know better, because we invented democracy and you need to shut up. Full stop.