Posts tagged Family from the Learn Dutch For Expats team.
The Dutch school run has its own world: the schoolplein, the BSO, the class WhatsApp group. Here is the Dutch that gets parents and au pairs through the daily drop-off.
A Dutch friend had a baby and you're invited for kraamvisite. Here is the etiquette, the beschuit met muisjes tradition, and the phrases to congratulate them right.
Want to bring a non-EU partner to the Netherlands? The IND wants proof of sufficient, durable, independent income. Here is what the family-reunification rules require.
Have a child in the Netherlands and you're entitled to kinderbijslag, paid by the SVB. Here is how the claim works, what it pays, and the words you need.
Dutch daycare has long waitlists, so you register early, often during pregnancy. Here is how to apply for kinderopvang, the LRK and toeslag, and the vocab.
After a Dutch birth, a kraamverzorgende comes to your home for days. Here is what kraamzorg is, how insurance covers it, the eigen bijdrage, and when to arrange it.
Does your child stay at school for lunch? That's overblijven, or tussenschoolse opvang. Here is how it works, what it costs, and the continurooster difference.
Dutch primary schools track your child in Parnassys, and the parent portal shows the reports and test scores. Here is how to read it and the school-Dutch you need.
Dutch parental leave is generous but jargon-heavy: ouderschapsverlof, geboorteverlof, partly paid by UWV. Here is what you're entitled to and how to email HR for it.
In a country below sea level, swimming lessons are non-negotiable. Here is how the Dutch Zwem-ABC diploma system works, and the zwemles vocabulary parents need.
Dutch maternity care is midwife-led and unlike anywhere else: the verloskundige, the echo, the kraamzorg. Here is how it works and the Dutch to navigate your pregnancy.
The after-school playdate, the speelafspraak, is a real social skill among Dutch parents. Here is how they work, the unwritten rules, and the Dutch to set one up.
Your Dutch school sends a bill for the ouderbijdrage. Is it compulsory? No, and your child can't be excluded for not paying. Here is what the rules really say.
Returning to work while breastfeeding? Dutch law gives you real kolfrecht: paid time and a private room to pump. Here is what you're entitled to and how to ask.
Choosing a Dutch primary school means meeting Montessori, Dalton, Jenaplan and Vrije School. Here is what each educational concept means and the vocab expat parents need.
Worried Dutch will confuse your child, or that your home language will fade? Here is how bilingual upbringing actually works, the OPOL method, and the myths debunked.
Dutch school holidays are long, and the BSO covers them. Here is how buitenschoolse opvang and vakantieopvang work, plus the kinderopvangtoeslag that pays for it.
Dutch kids' clothes are sized by height in centimetres, not age, so maat 104 means ~104cm. Here is how to read a maattabel, measure your child, and the vocab.
A studiedag on the school calendar means the kids are off and the teachers aren't. Here is what these study days are, why school closes, and the childcare catch.
Tempted to book a cheap term-time holiday? Dutch leerplicht is strict, and luxe verzuim brings real fines. Here is what the compulsory-education law allows.
The Dutch Rijksvaccinatieprogramma vaccinates your child for free, on a fixed schedule. Here is what the RVP covers, when, and the Dutch on the invitation letters.
When your child turns a year older, Dutch school means trakteren, bringing a treat for the whole class. Here is the etiquette, the healthy-treat trend, and the Dutch.
If the consultatiebureau gives your toddler a VVE indicatie, it is not a worry, it is free extra preschool to build their Dutch. Here is what it means.
Your child's Dutch school has a 'luizenmoeder', and you have no idea what that means. Here is the lice-check ritual, plus the parent-volunteer glossary you need.
Expat kids often outrun their parents in Dutch within a year. Here is why it happens, why it is not magic, and how to keep up so your family integrates together.
Dropping a little one at a Dutch crèche means a daily exchange with the staff, in Dutch. Here is how kinderopvang works, the wennen period, and the phrases you need.
Worried about a Dutch language requirement for an au pair visa? Good news: there isn't one. Here is what the visa actually requires, and the Dutch you will really want.
VMBO, HAVO, VWO, MBO, HBO, WO: the Dutch school alphabet soup, decoded. Here is what each tier means, how children are placed, and why it's not a life sentence.
Your child's first Dutch 10-minutengesprek looming? Here is the warm school vocabulary, who juf and meester are, the rapport, and how to make ten minutes count.
Dutch school waiting lists and lotteries sound scary. The truth: it's about timing and rules, not persuasion. Here is how to secure your child's place.
Cannot afford the football contributie? The Jeugdfonds Sport en Cultuur pays it, and parents can now apply directly. Here is how the forms work, in Dutch.