Shows
Culture Clash ParentingPassover, Easter & Tacos: Navigating the Spring Holidays with KidsIn this episode, we dive into the delightful chaos of spring holidays in multicultural families. From Passover Seders to Easter egg hunts (and everything in between), we share how our families celebrate, adapt, and blend traditions. Join us as we reflect on food, faith, and flexibility — all while parenting across cultures.Topics Discussed:How Passover and Easter overlapped this yearCultural differences in holiday closures (France vs. Germany)The evolution of store hours and holiday observance in EuropeChocolate egg hunts and coloring traditions across continentsVocabulary Shared in This Episode:Ge...2025-05-0631 min
Culture Clash ParentingBlending Cultures, Blurring Borders: A Third Culture Kid Raising Third Culture KidsIn this episode, we welcome special guest Colette Ballew — a Third Culture Kid who went on to raise Third Culture Kids of her own. From navigating interfaith family dynamics to blending French, American, Jewish, and Tunisian traditions, we explore how identity, language, and culture show up across generations.Join us as we dive into the power of storytelling, the complexity of belonging, and the beauty (and chaos!) of raising multilingual, multicultural children.🗣️ Note: This is one of our longer episodes — and for good reason! Colette’s story is rich with insight, humor, and heart.2025-04-151h 18
Culture Clash ParentingDaylight Savings Drama: Parenting EditionDaylight Savings Time is messing with us again—and this episode is proof! In Episode 13, Marisa and Astrid show up late and lean all the way into the chaos of time zones, cultural differences, and parenting schedules gone wrong.From accidentally mismatched calendars to nursing babies who run on their own clocks, we explore the ways personality, culture, and parenting styles shape how we experience time.Are you someone who plans ahead and adjusts early? Or are you just trying to keep your head above water and ma...2025-03-2527 min
Culture Clash ParentingGlitter, Costumes & Chaos – Carnaval Traditions Around the WorldCarnaval, Mardi Gras, and Purim—three celebrations, countless traditions! In this episode, we explore how different cultures mark this festive season with costumes, parades, and plenty of chaos.Astrid shares what it was like celebrating Carnaval in Germany, where the party lasts from Thursday to Tuesday (yes, almost a whole week!). Marisa explains how Purim, a Jewish holiday, is like a Jewish version of Carnaval—with costumes, noise-makers, and of course, delicious Hamantaschen cookies.Join us for a lively discussion on how different cultures bring their own uniq...2025-03-1835 min
Culture Clash ParentingGroup Projects: Teamwork or Torture? What We’re Learning by Parenting in Different CountriesIn this episode, we dive into the cultural differences between group work and individual work in schools and workplaces. Inspired by a personal experience with my son’s school project, we discuss how different education systems approach collaboration, independence, and grading.Are group projects really teaching teamwork, or are they just a source of frustration? How do different cultures balance collective success versus individual accountability? Let’s explore how our parenting experiences reveal deeper cultural norms about work, responsibility, and fairness.Topics DiscussedThe challenges of group projects in m...2025-03-0535 min
Culture Clash ParentingLost (And Found) in Translation - Idioms & Expressions In English, German, and FrenchIf you want to check out the video version, be sure to check out our youtube channel: @cultureclashparentingIn this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of idiomatic expressions across English, French, and German. Have you ever translated a phrase word-for-word and ended up with total nonsense? We’ve all been there! Language is more than just words—it’s history, humor, and culture wrapped into unique expressions.Join us as we explore some of the funniest and most unexpected idioms that reveal cultural differences, generational shifts, and even a bit of linguistic humor from o...2025-02-1946 min
Culture Clash ParentingSchool Lunches - Crêpes or CrapIf you want to check out the video version, be sure to check out our youtube channel: @cultureclashparentingWhat’s on your child’s school lunch tray? In this episode, we dig into the fascinating (and sometimes frustrating) differences in school lunches across cultures. From French multi-course meals to American cafeteria nacho bars, we explore what kids are eating at school and how food policies shape their choices. We also share our own experiences—from childhood lunch memories to feeding our multicultural teens today.Topics Discussed:How school lunches differ in France, German...2025-02-0444 min
Culture Clash ParentingOur Teens, Their Schools: Back to Class After the HolidaysIn this episode, we reflect on some of the unique dynamics of secondary education systems across cultures. From conseil de classe in France to the German Abitur, we kick of 2025 by sharing how we're navigating reentry after the holidays. Join us as we share personal anecdotes, insights, and the unexpected surprises of parenting our multicultural teens.Topics Discussed:The transition between semesters and report card timelines in France, Germany, and the U.S.Examples of the pressures and opportunities faced by third-culture kids in navigating multiple education systems.A comparison of college and university...2025-01-211h 05
Culture Clash ParentingHappy New Year 2025!Introduction:Happy New Year! We’re excited to share our first episode of 2025 with you. In this episode, we reflect on how different cultures celebrate the start of the year. From pomegranates in Greece to chimney sweeps in Germany, we share our personal traditions and explore symbols of luck, family, and hope across the globe. Whether you celebrated with fireworks and champagne or went to bed early, this episode is all about stepping into 2025 with joy and connection.Topics Discussed:Marisa’s New Year’s traditions, including celebrating her New Year’s Baby w...2025-01-0734 min
Culture Clash ParentingHoliday Part 3 - Twinkling Lights and LatkesIn this episode, we explore the joys and challenges of blending holiday traditions as multicultural and interfaith families. From menorahs to Christmas stockings, gumball trees to Secret Santa exchanges, we share stories of how we navigate the holiday season while honoring our children’s diverse cultural and religious identities. We also dive into the role of holiday music in creating joy. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, a mix of both or something entirely different, this episode is all about finding connection and magic during “the most wonderful time of the year”.Topics Discussed:Blending cultur...2024-12-241h 04
Culture Clash ParentingHolidays Part 2 - What’s on Our Multicultural Holiday Tables?In this episode, we dive into the delicious world of holiday foods across cultures! From Thanksgiving leftovers to Christmas goose, foie gras, and mulled wine, we share stories of the dishes that make our holidays special. We discuss how our favorite traditions have evolved as cross-cultural parents, blending the flavors of our childhoods with the customs of the countries we now call home. Hungry yet? Tune in to explore the festive meals and treats that bring us joy and connection during the holiday season.Topics Discussed:Thanksgiving traditions and recipes, including sweet potato variations...2024-12-1046 min
Culture Clash ParentingHolidays Part 1 - Keeping Holiday Traditions Alive Across CulturesIn this episode, we kick off our holiday series with a lively discussion about blending and preserving holiday traditions from our cultures. We specifically talk about three favorites (that all revolve around food!): Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Chandeleur. We share our experiences as parents navigating holiday celebrations across countries and traditions and how we're teaching our kids the meaning behind each holiday while juggling the busy season.Tune in to hear our stories, laughter, and tips for making the holidays meaningful, no matter where you are.Topics Discussed:The challenges and joys of...2024-11-2653 min
Culture Clash ParentingParenting in Translation – Why One Word Means So Much Across CulturesIn this episode, we dive into the fascinating differences in how the concept of "parenting" varies across cultures, starting with a surprising fact: the word "parenting" doesn’t even exist in some languages, like French and German! We discuss how these linguistic differences reflect deeper cultural expectations around raising children and the role of parents. From whether parents should help with homework to when kids are expected to walk to school independently, we share our own experiences and insights as expats navigating parenting in new cultures.Topics Discussed in This Episode:The absence of th...2024-11-1352 min
Culture Clash ParentingLost In Translation - The Faux Amis ChroniclesIn this episode of Culture Clash Parenting, Marisa and Astrid dive into the humorous and sometimes embarrassing world of "faux amis," or "false friends"—words that sound the same across languages but mean completely different things. They share personal stories of language mishaps and explore how such experiences shape their lives as expat parents. From accidentally calling their kids rude names to confusing medical terms that lead to near heart attacks, they laugh through the chaos and lessons of navigating language barriers.Topics Discussed in This Episode:Understanding "faux amis" and the funny language mi...2024-10-2935 min
Culture Clash ParentingHow We MetIn the debut episode of Culture Clash Parenting, co-hosts Marisa Raymond and Astrid share their powerful journey of friendship, beginning in an online miscarriage support group in 2006. Both women, hailing from different parts of the world—Marisa, an American living in France, and Astrid, a German who moved to the U.S.—discuss their shared experiences of loss, cultural differences in healthcare, and the emotional toll of miscarriage.Marisa reflects on her challenges navigating the U.S. healthcare system, including difficulties accessing prenatal genetic testing, and contrasts this with the care she received when experiencing another miscarriage in F...2024-10-1549 min