https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:35:08 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1747350 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 09:56:49 +0000 looch 1747350@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've read a couple of the articles, @SugarplumsMom: I think Switzerland is very much like the Nordic countries in the "being part of the group" and "lacking ambition." It is very much a culture of sameness.</p> <p>There are times I wish we could be back, but then there are other times I am glad to be in a diverse place. It's hard, there's no perfect location, that's for sure! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1747243 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 09:09:02 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1747243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just read their piece about Parenting in Norway and I'm blown away by all the similarities - it's exactly like Sweden (minus the caramelized goat cheese, which sounds wonderful, BTW). </p> <p>I think it summarizes the initial differences in culture pretty well, not just for parents but for immigrants and ex-pats alike. I really wish I read this when I first arrived! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1747187 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 08:50:02 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1747187@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Lolo: Hugs! Just hugs! :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1747176 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 08:48:07 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1747176@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you for sharing this! I'm an American living in Sweden and the part about negative politeness is very similar to what we have here (although IMO, it's at a whole new level here). Whereas the drinking seems to be polar opposites. It'll be very interested to read the rest of the series. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1747090 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 08:22:59 +0000 blackbird 1747090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lolo, that sounds absolutely horrific and scary :( The Middle East is....not where I would want to be for health care. I can't believe some english speaking doc hasn't set up a solid practice for ex pats. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746894 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 04:41:32 +0000 Trailmix 1746894@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love A Cup of Jo, this series when she first did it was one of my favorites!<br /> Although, I have to say that this most recent one was my least favorite of all of them, hopefully the next ones are better!<br /> I would love to live abroad for a few years but I think all the grandparents would kill us! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746892 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 04:36:30 +0000 Lolo 1746892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee I would do very very bad things to get my hands on a custard cream right now :shocked: oh and I appreciate the love! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746887 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 03:49:26 +0000 Cherrybee 1746887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Lolo: Oh my goodness, that sounds horrific. I'm sending you so much love from home right now. :heart: </p> <p>I loved reading this article!!! Yes, all of those things are completely true! It IS wrong to ask a crying person if they're ok because, like, how mortifying for them! It's bad enough that they've been reduced to tears in public without people noticing and drawing attention to it! And yes, every compliment has to be met with a self-depreciating remark - for example "I like your shoes" must be met with either "these old things?" or an admission that you bought them from somewhere really tragic (like the supermarket) for a really low price. I love her description of bourbon creams!! We also have a vanilla version called custard creams! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746879 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 02:43:08 +0000 Lolo 1746879@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BIRDOFAFEATHER Don't encourage me, I could write all day about the differences here in the ME. I am really struggling with the helath care service. I Natively thought that having access to private health care for the first time in my life would mean that the service that I received would be far superior to the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK but in my experience it has been far worse. The first Doctor I visited even suggested that I returned to the UK.</p> <p>Some differences include;</p> <p>Appointment bookings: waiting times are 3.5 hours per visit on average and include standing outside the Dr's door the entire time to prevent locals from skipping the line. Surely this does not count as an appointment?</p> <p>Lack of good facilities : The hospitals in the city are full so I need to drive 80 minutes into the desert per visit. I live in Qatar which has been quoted as the richest country in the world.</p> <p>Strange advice and practices: don’t take prenatal vitamins, don’t walk other than short distances, if I MUST exercise gentle swimming only, a GD test at 20 weeks but no results until 28 weeks, avoid all spicy foods, my husband is permitted to attend ultrasounds etc but they get really antsy and uncomfortable the whole time he is in the room, I could go on.. (FYI, my pregnancy is not high risk and I have no health issues).</p> <p>Language barrier: This is not a fair gripe as I am living in an Arabic country and I do not speak Arabic but I have yet to speak to a doctor that has a good grasp of English and so my care has been far from helpful or insightful. I have not been able to ask any questions about my pregnancy so far that have resulted in coherent answers. When I asked about the birth process and options (I was thinking can I have a natural birth, do you recommend skin to skin contact, breastfeeding support etc) I was told that they provide VIP treatment, I will have my own room, room service food menu &amp; baby will be accommodated in the hospitals nursery where she will be bottlefed and mum can have a good rest. This may sound like heaven to some but as an anxious FTM this sounds like hell to me.</p> <p>There have been some very, very upsetting experiences. At my 12 week NT ultrasound the Doctor told me that sadly there was no baby showing on the scan, I then endured 2 transvaginal scans and a further two more high ultrasounds before she admitted that she had no experience in using the machine. finally anotehr Dr was able to assist and I was told ‘baby is alive, you have pregnancy’.</p> <p>Sorry for the negativity but like I said, I'm struggling! :wink: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746646 Tue, 08 Jul 2014 21:01:20 +0000 jhd 1746646@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love that series! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746373 Tue, 08 Jul 2014 19:02:35 +0000 Turd Ferguson 1746373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Awesome read(s)! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746366 Tue, 08 Jul 2014 19:01:33 +0000 birdofafeather 1746366@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snickers: there aren't parent rooms in every mall around here (only the high-end ones i've found!), but the suggestion to BF in the bathroom just sounds like someone uninformed of moms' rights!</p> <p>and only the baby stores have expecting or new mother/parent parking around my way! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746316 Tue, 08 Jul 2014 18:36:38 +0000 snickers 1746316@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for sharing - very interesting! I live in New Zealand and we are very similar to the UK. </p> <p>I worked at a summer camp in North Carolina for 3 years back in the early 2000's and have to say that language was the biggest barrier!</p> <p>I remember telling someone I was knackered once and they gave me a funny look and said you are not naked! Haha we use that word a lot as well!</p> <p>I don't think parenting in NZ is that different to other western countries, from what I can tell from talking to people, reading blogs etc I can't use the time I lived and worked in NC as a guide as I was in my late teens and didn't have children so cant compare that. </p> <p>I was a bit surprised at the lack of parent friendly facilities in Hawaii, im not sure if the rest of the states are the same. I asked in a store where I could breastfeed as I couldn't find the parent room in the mall and got told to feed in the toilet! In NZ all the malls I have been to have parent rooms with armchairs, TV's, microwaves, cubicles with armchairs for breastfeeding, change facilities etc everything you need to feed or change a baby or small toddler. </p> <p>Also we couldn't find any parent parks in Hawaii whereas in NZ they are everywhere at malls, supermakets etc parks reserved for parents close to the doors. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746276 Tue, 08 Jul 2014 18:12:44 +0000 swedishfish 1746276@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I read the UK article last night. What an interesting read! I loved it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746275 Tue, 08 Jul 2014 18:11:47 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1746275@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just read the UK one - wow, I can't wait to read the rest of the series. This is fascinating... thank you for sharing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746264 Tue, 08 Jul 2014 18:06:48 +0000 hilsy85 1746264@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This was so interesting! Thanks for posting! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746211 Tue, 08 Jul 2014 17:33:49 +0000 birdofafeather 1746211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Lolo: aw! i will be interested to hear your thoughts on being an ex-pat in your country! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1746209 Tue, 08 Jul 2014 17:33:12 +0000 birdofafeather 1746209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Woolly Mammoth: yeah, the crying thing seemed normal to me, but i am totally one to chat up strangers!</p> <p>@BKCaribBaby: makes sense to me! i haven't read them all, but i think as an ex-pat, the mothers can more easily identify the differences in the US vs. the culture they're parenting in? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1744852 Tue, 08 Jul 2014 09:09:26 +0000 BKCaribBaby 1744852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really liked this, and I'll definitely look at the past posts. The only thing I'll say is that the series title seems to be a misnomer. Being an (American) expat in a country is a touch different than being a local. It has its own challenges. I'm glad she's doing this though, as I am fascinated by expat life. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1744467 Tue, 08 Jul 2014 02:56:40 +0000 Lolo 1744467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As a pregnant UK expat living in the Middle East the UK article made me so homesick that I now want to cry. Wow I miss my country. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1743754 Mon, 07 Jul 2014 18:02:26 +0000 Woolly Mammoth 1743754@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Interesting. Although I think her idea of how Americans act is regional (probably from the northeast?). We have "negative politeness" here in Seattle, too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1743719 Mon, 07 Jul 2014 17:38:44 +0000 Purpledaisy 1743719@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love this series! I'm so glad that she's doing another one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1743685 Mon, 07 Jul 2014 17:18:12 +0000 BananaPancakes 1743685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I loved this series the first time and was so excited it started back up today. So interesting! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1743623 Mon, 07 Jul 2014 16:43:59 +0000 MrsRoo 1743623@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love this. I hadn't seen this before, but I find it so interesting how people in other countries live and parent. I'm going to go back and read more of the series after K goes to sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1743618 Mon, 07 Jul 2014 16:40:33 +0000 Mrs. Blue 1743618@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So interesting! I'd love to read the series, too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cup-of-jo-motherhood-around-the-world#post-1743609 Mon, 07 Jul 2014 16:28:02 +0000 birdofafeather 1743609@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i really enjoyed this article about an ex-pat parenting in the UK and want to go through the rest of the series! Have you read any of these?<br /> Here's the UK one: <a href="http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2014/07/15-surprising-things-about-parenting-in.html" rel="nofollow">http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2014/07/15-surprising-things-about-parenting-in.html</a></p> <p>and the series: <a href="http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/search/label/motherhood%20around%20the%20world" rel="nofollow">http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/search/label/motherhood%20around%20the%20world</a></p> <p>Anything our non-American mother-bees want to share that's different about parenting in their country? </p>