Motherhood, Careers and the Mental Load: Anna and Zena’s ‘Third Way’
08-04-2026 | 13 Min.
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
01-04-2026 | 15 Min.
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.
Why Are Dutch Kids So Happy When Dutch Adults Aren’t?
25-03-2026 | 14 Min.
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
18-03-2026 | 16 Min.
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
11-03-2026 | 12 Min.
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.
Hearts and Handlebars is a parenting podcast about real‑life school runs, motherhood and big feelings on a Dutch cargo bike. It’s made for parents and kids whose mornings look more like spilt coffee than green‑juice perfection. Hosted by BBC foreign correspondent and mum Anna Holligan and her 9‑year‑old daughter Zena, every short episode is recorded on the bike, in real time, on the way to school – made to be played on your own school run, during the bedtime wind‑down or with a much‑earned post drop‑off coffee.
You’re riding along for big feelings, shifting identities, TikTok talk, friendship fallouts and the daily tightrope walk between paid work and care work. The same skills praised as “strategy, leadership and resilience” in workplaces show up here as the invisible graft of getting kids dressed, fed, emotionally held and delivered on time – Hearts and Handlebars is a gentle protest against that parenting labour, and you, staying unseen.
This is not a vibe‑checked guide to perfect parenting. It’s messy, unfiltered, funny and disarmingly honest company for the mornings when you need proof you’re not the only mum, dad, carer or guardian spinning plates – and that you’re doing far better than it feels.
You’ll also hear listeners’ stories and school‑run dramas, with Zena on hand to rate the chaos and offer kid‑level hot takes, plus all the sounds you never get in a studio: bike bells, traffic, Dutch weather and the kind of chatter that makes it feel like you’re actually in the bike lane with them.
If you’re over glossy “having it all” content and want a kids & family show that sounds like your real life, not your algorithm, Hearts and Handlebars is your ride. Share your morning chaos (or enviably nailed routines) on Instagram @heartsandhandlebars – and, as Zena says, “STAY LOVIN!”.
Netherlands