Once a month, I run an “International Breakfast” at the Familientreff in Oberursel. This is the same place I run a lot of my courses, and it is somewhere I got to know and came to love when my own children were babies. It is a not-for-profit organisation run predominantly by volunteers for the benefit of families with young children in Oberursel and the surrounding towns. I loved being able to go there and meet other parents at my mum & baby group, my baby music class, and the weekly breakfast they ran back then. But in those days, as now, I was acutely aware of how lucky I am as a foreigner that I am able to speak German, and thus integrate and benefit from all that was on offer for parents of babies and young children.
That is why now, despite being a busy self-employed mum of two, I make time once a month to volunteer and run the International Breakfast at the Familientreff in Oberursel, because I know how lonely parenthood can be, and I want to give those who aren’t lucky enough to speak good German, or confident enough to brave gatherings in German with their basic level of language, the opportunity to meet other parents and build their support network in Germany. Because parenting is more fun with friends, and I want to help as many people as possible to build their “German village” of friends and supporters so they can enjoy being a mom or dad despite the additional challenges of being in a foreign country.
I ran the first breakfast back in May 2023, and since then I have met so many lovely mums and dads. Some attend regularly, some come as and when they have time, others I met for the first time last week. But every time I love seeing people’s joy at meeting other parents who also speak English and understand the struggles of parenting away from your home country. And I love providing everyone with a tasty breakfast and a relaxed atmosphere so they can focus on chatting and making new friends. I happily answer any questions that arise about how things work in Germany, share my experiences and any relevant knowledge about childcare institutions (and applications!), and generally offer any input I think might be useful.
So, take a look at the Familientreff website and book your spot at the next breakfast.
We regularly have mums and dads with their babies or toddlers from Oberursel, Bad Homburg, Bad Soden, Kronberg, Frankfurt, and even Friedberg attending, so wherever you live, you will hopefully meet someone who lives close by.