“We thought it was important to do a sport and something cultural.”

What is it like growing up in Amsterdam? This time: Clyde (47) and Amaya (14) Minso. “We are showing our children that being responsible as a parent is not gender-related.”

Clyde: “Amaya has tremendous perseverance, whether it’s sewing her own clothes, drawing or taking up a new sport – when she starts something, she doesn’t stop until she masters it.”

Amaya: “And when I get it, I want to try something new again. For a long time I played two sports at the same time, tennis and judo, football and jumping on a trampoline.

Clyde: “We thought it was important for the kids to do a sport and something cultural. They had to find out for themselves what that was.”

“My parents have always worked.”

Amaya: “My father was the director of all kinds of cultural institutions, like the Amsterdam Arts Fund. I often went with him to the Stedelijk Museum, Cinekid and theater performances. I was a member of the children’s council of the youth theater De Krakeling. We provided feedback on the displays and were allowed to decorate the lobby.

Clyde: “Then Amaya put on a nice jacket and said, ‘I’m going to work, too, just like you.'”

Amaya: “My parents were always working, they were both home one day a week, and the rest of the week we would go to after-school care. I really see them as role models for me; if you want to achieve something, you have to work hard for it.”

Clyde: “For her 10th birthday, Amaya wanted an iPhone 10, which we thought was overkill. She then organized an online concert for friends and family. She sold tickets for five euros each, sang for them and played the piano until she could buy a phone herself.

Amaya: “I always wanted to earn my own money. When I was 13 I went to work at the Jumbo Hotel, and when I thought I wasn’t earning enough there, I went to the Landmarket. I also take care of the kids in the neighborhood.”

“My father and I regularly fight in the kitchen.”

Clyde: “Amaya and I share many interests, from collecting Nike Air Jordans and traveling to cooking. We’ve been to Paris and Hamburg together, where she served me the best hamburger ever for my birthday.

Amaya: “I found the title on TikTok, where I often find recipes. My dad and I regularly fight in the kitchen: Who makes the tastiest chicken dish with the Airfryer or with leftovers in the fridge? My mom and brother are the jury. I usually win, but my dad He recently won a Korean chicken dish.

Clyde: “Ever since they were little, we’ve been going together to Camp Nasi, an initiative by comedian Howard Combro, for parents and kids. We show our children that being responsible as a parent is not gender-related, and at the same time we share our experiences about fatherhood.

Amaya: “The parents cook and we all do fun things, like see the beavers in a canoe in Bisbosch and make a fire.”

“I am proud of my Surinamese background”

Clyde: “I was born in Oud West and grew up in Zuidoost, and my parents came to the city from Suriname in the 1970s. We have been there many times with the children, and it is important to know where they come from.”

Amaya: “We didn’t like it very much when we were kids, it rained mosquitoes and a red bee stung my brother. But now I want to go there again, and I’m proud of my Surinamese background. My father always played Surinamese music in the car during vacation, and he used to be a singer himself “As an assistant in the band La Rouge. I used to find those songs annoying, but now we sing them together.”

Clyde: “At Christmas, Amaya and I always sing a karaoke duet, where we practice a special dance.”

Amaya: “I got the music material from my dad, but I don’t want anything else with it. My dream is to become a real estate agent, preferably in America,” inspired by the program Sunset sale“.

Clyde: “Amaya has many talents, and she should do what she is passionate about and wants to pursue. My heart lies in my work, now as director of the International Theater Amsterdam, in one of the most famous venues in Amsterdam. I hope that for my children too.”