Neighborhood family gives Zan’s single mother peace again: ‘I don’t love her anymore’

It took some time for Zara (her real name is known to editors) to muster the courage to make a change. “At a certain point, I didn’t want to do it anymore. The pressure was too much for me,” she says. In the schoolyard, she talks to another mother who advises her to look at the families in the neighborhood.

This organization Connects families who could benefit from support. For a stable family in the neighborhood. Zara is connected to this support family. Her children go to play with other children their age on Wednesday afternoons, which gives her some space to do something on her own.

And she can use that. Zara is a single mom to two boys, ages 7 and 9. Her family lives far away and she doesn’t really have any friends. She also works full time and is always busy with her kids. “You’re kind of living in a bubble,” Zara says. “You try to keep all the balls up and forget about yourself.”

Just like Zara, around four hundred families in Zaanstreek-Waterland have been using the Neighbourhood Families app since its launch in 2015. Nationally, the counter stands at 5,800.

fear of losing children

Although she thought it was a great initiative, Zara was initially hesitant. “Am I going to end up in a mill that I don’t want to be in?” she wondered when she signed up. She was afraid of losing her children. “When in fact you are doing a really good thing for your children by asking for help.”

These concerns seem unnecessary. “You create space, love and care for your children.” The children will play with their peers on Wednesday afternoon. “Then I can organize things,” Zara says.

The organization helps the whole family, so Zara gets help too. She has a walking buddy. Through talking, the Zancanter notices that she has more peace of mind. Her thoughts change and she enjoys more valuable time with her children. “My mind was so busy that I couldn’t consciously pay attention to my children.”

good people

Now that she has been using local families for six months, Zara looks at helping differently. “There are really nice people who want to help you.” She hopes to support the family herself in the future. “It’s rewarding work. You’re really helping someone.”