VFN Member Blog

The number of binational marriages in Austria ranges between 23-30% annually. This puts Austria in second place in Europe, right after Switzerland.

Dear VFN WhatsApp Group,

It’s been several years now since I joined this group, at which time I was just over halfway through my first pregnancy. Like many of us, I was far away from my family and friends. I felt thrust into an exceedingly complex and bewildering system and was overwhelmed by a language that seemed to mock my attempts at learning it. I was beginning to realise that maternity leave might turn out to be quite lonely and I was anxious that the most challenging moments I was certain to face would be without the support system on which I had always counted before life made other plans.

Even though I design children’s clothing, I still find it challenging to shop for my children. It’s not always easy to find durable and comfortable clothes that can last for more than a few months. Unfortunately, a size label is not a reliable indication of how well a garment will fit or how long it will last. In fact, there are several reasons why clothing with the same size label can have vastly different lifespans.

The first part of this blog post ended on an uplifting note, but there is also of course a flipside – arising in part from the “invisible” nature of ASD and the difficulties presented by “isolation” can have, in terms of hampering acceptance. Children’s educational experience in childhood shapes their whole life experience, but sadly in some respects, Austria lags somewhat in terms of acceptance in an educational setting.

April abounds with content about Autism Awareness. Sadly, increased acceptance is still lagging. ASD diagnoses are now frequently made in childhood, with numbers of diagnoses increasing. A diagnosis during childhood places massive burdens on parents as caregivers. Living abroad can exacerbate the burden further – whether due to not necessarily speaking the local language or struggling to comprehend local attitudes at odds with those elsewhere.

One of the hardest parts of being a parent is leaving your child in the care of someone you trust. This is hard enough when you are in your home country. It is doubly hard when you find yourself in a new country where you may or may not speak the language. If you’re struggling to find a kindergarten in Vienna, please know that you are not alone.

Human life has been significantly related to water since time immemorial and humans don’t need anything more than water to live. That’s why we have (mostly) a very positive relationship with water probably defined by how we develop and come into the world. Moreover, swimming and its benefits have been proven for a long time. So, it was natural for me to start thinking about enrolling my newborn son in a swimming course for infants.

As a child, my parents didn’t allow me to collect sticker albums. At school not being allowed to collect “Garbage Pail Kids” stickers singled me out as “uncool”. With hindsight, my parents were probably right for that collection! In 2022, we completed Spar’s Stickermania collection and Billa’s albums.

The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is upon us, and this can be overwhelming for even the most stoic of individuals. We yearn to regain our balance and peaceful moments seem to be just out of reach – or rather hidden behind glittery storefront windows and a full planner during the month ahead. So read on to learn about a few simple skills, which you can immediately implement to help you practice slowing down and being mindful.

It’s that time of the year again! The days are short but the lights are bright. The holiday season is a time of comfort for me and I always look forward to starting my annual traditions as soon as I can. Besides cookie baking and gift buying, I love to sit down on my couch and rewatch as many traditional Christmas films that I can. For this post I picked 5 films that I love to watch every year.