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Breda | May 29, 2024

Liedewij: 'Participation in culture and sports is part of your personal development'

Participating in sports and culture helps your child become a more fully integrated member of society. This isn't just about the present, but also about the future. You're teaching your child: You can do this! You can create it yourself!

Liedewij is the mother of two girls, aged 11 and 14. She believes making music is very important for her children. It contributes to their cultural development. They develop skills that will benefit them now and in the future. Making music fosters recognition and recognition. As a child, you discover your potential and gain self-confidence, which allows you to show your talent to others. First, you play at home and in lessons, and later, for example, on the piano at the station and in the school auditorium. It gives you the feeling of "I can do this!"

Meaning of sports and culture

Sports are more ingrained in children's minds. They're healthy, fun, and accessible. Exercise is important for children's health. It promotes belonging, teamwork, social development, and connecting with other (age) groups. Liedewij finds that culture is more difficult to capture within that social framework. She sees culture and music lessons more as the development of one's worldview. If, as a child, you become familiar with various cultural movements, from music and dance to crafts, you gain a broader frame of reference for the world.

A few years ago, Liedewij retrained and consciously chose to start her own business, doing what truly resonates with her, alongside volunteering in and around Breda. Finding a good balance between caring for her family and her husband's business is important to her. Because of all these New Year's resolutions, they have to be frugal with their expenses. When you can settle for less, you experience what's truly important for your children. She also appreciates the variety of opportunities in Breda to support her children's development.

Using the BredaPas, she submitted the applications for her children's music lessons herself through the Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur Breda website. With the help of the fund, the children have been taking lessons at De Nieuwe Veste for six years now. They also play a lot of music at home, with Liedewij helping her children and playing along. They were able to pick up the piano for free, and now there's a real instrument in the room, which is fantastic. This makes playing and unwinding from the mental stress of school even more accessible. Besides cultural lessons, the children also get active. They cycle together and have participated in sports like dancing and skating. As the children get older, they are more aware of their fitness and want to actively work on it.

Advice to providers

Her advice to providers is to involve parents more in their child's development. Make the request for help clear and practical. For example, ask each school what their target group is and what approach they expect to best inspire parents and children in arts and culture. Get to know the parents well and find out what their resilience is. If volunteer help is needed on a regular basis, a parent might be willing to organize it for a small fee. She also believes it's important to involve children from an early age, such as providing artistic insights into the hobbies of the children in your class or club.

Advice to parents

She encourages parents to consider Sports and Culture as part of their child's social development. It allows a child to participate more fully in society, leading to more engaged individuals in the future. Having something you're good at or can express yourself at gives you confidence. It makes you feel like you matter! You want this for your child. That little extra time to complete an application opens up new opportunities you might not have otherwise had, or didn't know existed. It's fantastic that this is so well-organized in Breda!

There are plenty of parents with limited financial resources who are often underestimated. In fact, they're often incredibly creative and innovative in their efforts to make it all work. The solution lies in stepping out of the victim role and becoming stronger. What do you stand for in your family? Your children will see this example. Be proud of what you can make possible. With a single application to the Youth Fund for Sports & Culture, you can have fun for the whole family for a whole school year. And again the following year. By engaging with Arts and Culture, you learn to create. This is what Liedewij wants to share in this interview.

Facts about Liedewij

How old are you? 46 years old.
What is your favorite sport? Cycling through the city and oriental dance.
What's your favorite song? I love music made by singer-songwriters.
What are you most proud of? On my children.
What would you do if you won a million in the lottery?
I certainly wouldn't spend the money all at once or on material things. I would use it to pay for my children's education and invest in their future growth.
What do you want for children in Breda?
A nice time to look back on.