Passionate Parenting

We know from personal experience that raising children in a foreign country has its own set of challenges. Passionate Parenting’s seminars and workshops are an attempt to help:  by bringing the experts to the parents and the parents to the experts.

One can read all the books, magazines and articles on-line about parenting. But nothing is better than sitting face to face with an expert and have your individual questions answered, sharing their knowledge, meeting other parents and improving your parenting skills. You can change your and your child’s life with parent education.

Venue: van Hogenhoucklaan 89   (Behind Bronovo Hospital)
Time: 7:30pm - 9:45pm

Every Day Life Topics

January 18th        My Child will Eat That!
February 8th        Siblings [with less] Rivalry
March 15th        Raising a Confident Child II 
 May 26th   Do you really know & understand your child?

Expat Life Topics

 April 19th    Your will be Done – Death and family testaments in the NL 
 April 28th    Raising Bilingual Children 
 May (TBA)  Language Planning Workshop

Expat Life Topics

"Your will be done” planning for your children if you die here in NL.

April 19th, 7:30pm, €35

Every expat parent should have a Dutch will to avoid legal or tax-related problems, should the unthinkable happen. Especially, a testament, for your childrens’ sakes. In Holland, the existence of a foreign will can sometimes prove very disadvantageous when it comes to taxation. If you die while resident in the Netherlands, your entire estate will be subject to Dutch inheritance tax, no matter where your assets are. The courts will take custody of your children. Yolanda Bokhorst, (international family law specialist) will give parents need-to-know information to get it done quickly and painlessly.  If you would like to register, please use our online booking form.

Raising Bilingual Children

April 28th, 7:30pm, €35 (Wednesday)

A lecture by Eowyn Crisfield (BA TESL, MA Applied Linguistics). Are you also teaching your child Dutch, French, German, Spanish or Arabic? Multicultural, multinational, multilingual? Eowyn offers an excellent lecture on how to raise multilingual children, with all the guidelines, practicalities and important details.  This talk will answer many worrisome (language) questions for multi-national parents considering a creche, peuterschool or primary school for their international children. If you would like to register, please use our online booking form.

Intensive Language Planning Workshop with Eowyn

May depending on demand, €80 per couple.  Many parents leave the child bilingualism seminar with a new commitment to their children’s bilingual journey, but still have questions about how to best facilitate it. Parents raising children with more than one language have many decisions to make regarding language input, maintenance, and literacy, and need to think out the long-term consequences of the choices available to them.

Therefore, Eowyn is offering small-group (maximum 4 couples) workshops, parents will work towards creating a workable language plan for their family, giving them concrete guidance in all the steps of the process. At the end of the session each family will have 1-3 detailed language plans which would work for their family in different circumstances. The language plans will be inclusive – from birth, through formal education and literacy and on long-term language maintenance. Parents are required to complete an information questionnaire at least one week prior to the workshop. Date determined by demand. If you would like to register, please use our online booking form.

Every Day Life Topics

Siblings (with less) Rivalry

February 8th, 7:30pm, €35

Children are obsessed with “equal”, “same” and “fair”. But, Katherine Fortier, Child Psychologist, will show that “Equal is Less”, comparisons and roles are perilous and, children don’t need to be treated equally, they need to be treated uniquely. Jealousy and competitiveness may be one of parents’ toughest problems to handle, and this illuminating seminar will offer strategies and skills to foster cooperative sibling relations. This seminar will be valuable for parents of toddlers through to teens. If you would like to register, please use our online booking form.

Raising a Confident Child – Part II

March 15th, 7:30pm, €35

Self-efficacy – the quality of believing in one's own abilities - is a trait shared by confident children (and adults).  It is the development of competence and autonomy, and not just a constant stream of praise, that leads to confidence.  This follow-up talk by Katherine Fortier will focus on the life-skills that children need to face challenges with confidence and how we, as parents, can help them learn these.  It will be a practical guide for parents wanting to know more about this desirable quality. This is part 2 of a important topic, not to be missed. It will be valuable even for those who missed part 1 in June 2008. If you would like to register, please use our online booking form.

Do you really Know and Understand your Child?

May 26th, 7:30pm, €35

Hosted by the American Women's Club, The Hague:  As parents, we should be more aware of how our own personality affects the interactions we have with our children. Angel Buster from The "Kingdom of Colors" will present an easy-to-understand method for identifying your and your child’s personality type.  During this inspiring and experiential program she will help you understand yourself and your children better, to recognize potential strengths and development areas, and learn how to adapt your style for better communication and interaction leading to a more harmonious relationship. This original workshop will be appropriate for parents with children from 6 years old. If you would like to register, please use our online booking form.