Hearts and Handlebars

Season 1 Finale: Nanas, Mums & The Women Who Came Before Us

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 generations — the reading voices, the acting games, the unconditional presence — and why grandmothers deserve far more credit than they get. Plus: the legendary story of Nana catching a poo to save a perfect bath, how Nana flew from Scotland to The Hague mid-labour and still made it to the hospital before Zena arrived, and the small, steady rituals that pass quietly from one generation to the next.
Zena also reveals her Book Character Day costume (Jen from Real Friends), Uncle Nick is flying in from Texas, and Anna's jeans are... wet.
Thank you for riding with us this season. Season 2 is coming.
In this episode:
Why Anna's mum is the reason she shows up for every school trip, presentation, and camp drop-off
The intergenerational magic of reading aloud, acting games, and being taken seriously as a child
Real talk on what it means to be "present" as a parent
The chaos and warmth of school run life — cherry blossom, leaf blowers, dog interruptions and all
Hearts and Handlebars is the podcast recorded live on the school run — a BBC journalist mum and her daughter, talking honestly about life, family and growing up from the back of a Dutch cargo bike.
New episodes every Wednesday (starting again in Season 2). Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
#HeartsAndHandlebars #SchoolRun #MumPodcast #ParentingPodcast #Motherhood #Grandmothers #WorkingMums #CargoLife #CyclingWithKids #SeasonFinale #TheHague #FamilyPodcast

School Run Wobbles: Cycling Proficiency & Unwritten Rules

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 predictable, choosing when to stop or go around an obstacle, signalling clearly, and how to handle cars that suddenly block the bike lane.
Along the way they share real‑life cautionary tales about feet in spokes, sticks in wheels, and why “no time for tricks” is sometimes the kindest rule on a bike path.
If you’re cycling with kids to school, new to Dutch bike lanes, or just wondering how to turn basic cycling proficiency into real‑world confidence, this ride‑along episode is for you.
Hop on for practical, kid‑level safety tips, a bit of role‑play, and a lot of love from the bike lane.
#cycling#urbancycling #familycycling  #bikingwithkids #schoolrun#Netherlands  #TheHague  #parentingpodcast

Motherhood, Careers and the Mental Load: Anna and Zena’s ‘Third Way’

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 husband’s business, a Nana who stayed at home to raise four children, and a modern mum trying to balance being present with a career she loves.
Together they ask what a “proper job” really is, why being a stay‑at‑home mum can be both beautiful and stifling, and whether there’s a “third way” of motherhood that keeps the playfulness and dedication of previous generations without losing women’s ambitions and careers. Along the way there are class reps, ducks on honeymoon, wishes on dandelion clocks and a vision for animals for Britain’s new coins – all woven into a candid conversation about motherhood, money, the mental load and what kind of parent today’s kids might want to be tomorrow.
 
#heartsandhandlebars
#parentingpodcast
#motherhood
 #mumlife
#modernmotherhood
#parentingtips
#sahm

When School Spirit Weeks Expose Working‑Parent Guilt

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 looks like in the playground, how school spirit weeks can expose the cracks for working parents, and why something as small as a missed newsletter can trigger outsized guilt.
This episode is a love letter to imperfect caregivers everywhere – the ones juggling emails, assemblies, crazy hair days and the constant worry of letting their kids down, while trying to create tiny moments of joy on the school run.
 
#HeartsAndHandlebars #CrazyHairDay #SchoolRun #WorkingParents #MentalLoad #ParentingPodcast #CargoBikeLife #DutchParenting #SpiritWeek #SchoolCommunity #ModernMotherhood #FriendshipGoals #ParentGuilt #BikeLife #FamilyRoutine

Why Are Dutch Kids So Happy When Dutch Adults Aren’t?

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, and a government flirting with a ban for under-15s.​Along the way, there’s an Olympic-athlete ex, tall-poppy Dutch sayings about not standing out, a daughter who insists she’s not “one of the happiest kids in the world,” and a conversation about how hard it can be to loosen your grip when you grew up on horror stories about child safety.​
This episode is for anyone wondering what a “happy childhood” really looks like in 2026, and what parents anywhere can borrow—and question—from the Dutch model. #bedtimeroutines #funparenting #schoolrun

Dyslexic 9-Year-Old Calls Out Trump

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 it means to feel different. There are daffodil alerts, curly‑girl hair hacks, fossil fuel ad bans in The Hague and Amsterdam, and a side-quest into my very questionable “signature dishes” versus other parents’ effortless feasts.
If you’ve ever juggled lunch boxes, big feelings and breaking news before 9 a.m., hit play.

Hearts & Handlebars: School-Run Curls and Skin Color

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 together. If you’re juggling emails, lunch boxes and big feelings – and trying to raise a child who can name difference without shame – this unfiltered pedal through The Hague is for you.

Talking to Kids About War on the School Run (Blossoms, Big News and Being Early)

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 explain why Iran is in the headlines, what bombing and “international justice” mean, and how families can answer big geopolitical questions in age‑appropriate language. If you’re a parent juggling school runs, hockey sticks and heavy headlines, this episode offers a grounded, honest example of talking about conflict, safety and kids’ emotions on an ordinary school morning in the Netherlands.

Parenting a Dyslexic Child on the School Run | Dead Mouse & Big Feelings

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 me out on my unfinished book and unknowingly gives me the push I need to finally get words on the page, while we talk honestly about what it means to model follow‑through to our kids when life already feels full.
Z also shares her experience of dyslexia in her own words – from the early days when books made her want to curl up on the sofa, to now reading in the bakfiets – and how the same neurodivergent brain that finds decoding text harder seems wired for people skills, problem‑solving and resilience. If you’re parenting a neurodivergent child, suspect your kid might be dyslexic, or you’re just trying to keep a creative project alive alongside parenting, this kids & family school‑run episode is for you.
This week we’re asking:
What special talents have you developed out of your own difference or diversity?
Do you have any neurodiversities, and if you do, what are they?
Jump on, hit follow, and come join the conversation on Instagram @heartsandhandlebars.

Gentle Parenting vs FAFO on the School Run | Consequences & Safety Nets

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 their mistakes. From forgotten jumpers and smashed iPads to cold heads and hidden hats, we try out a softer version – “gentle FAFO” – where children still learn from their choices, but parents quietly keep a safety net. There are seagulls, mirror‑like canal water, surprisingly quiet roads and a very independent Zena, who has strong views on which parenting style really works.
Zena’s question for kids this week: what kind of parenting do you think your parents do – super gentle, gentle FAFO, or full “sit on your blisters”? There’s even a special guest cameo from one of her favourite friends.
🎧 Tap follow, share with a friend who’s into real‑life kids & family chats about consequences and care, and come say hi on Instagram @heartsandhandlebars.