What do you see when you look in the mirror in the morning? [Laughs] Wrinkles! And grey hair. And a lot of energy – I’m a morning person. My alarm goes off at 6:15am. I always put a load of washing on first thing in the morning; with three sons, the laundry never ends. Then I walk the dog, and by 7am I’m waiting for the rest of the family to come downstairs.
As a child, I was… a bit of a wild one. I certainly wasn’t a girly girl who played with Barbies. I loved being outdoors, which kept my parents on their toes. I was born and raised in Borgharen, on the Meuse River. I’d wander through the meadows and once got chased by a bull who decided I was getting too close to the cows. And a police officer once drove me home after I’d smashed some empty beer bottles I’d found. No, I wasn’t afraid of anything. I was independent, a doer, an extrovert. [Chuckles] I still am, only now I’ve got it under control.
"If something about me rubs you the wrong way, just tell me so we can talk about it. That way, I’ll get to know you a little better, too"
My biggest parenting frustration. When one of the boys is quick to say, “This won’t work” or “I can’t do this”. Just try, I tell them. Ask for help. There’s always a step you can take. Am I an optimist? Absolutely. My glass is always half full. I see opportunities in every situation, and I try to pass that attitude on to my children.
What is your partner’s most attractive quality? He’s the complete opposite of me. He’s an introvert, a thinker, risk averse. He keeps me balanced. We fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. We’ve been together for 25 years now, but I still get butterflies from time to time when I look at him. When we met, he wasn’t especially interested in dating. I’d be all dressed and made up, ready to go out to meet him, and he’d just casually ring and cancel at the last minute. I could’ve tried to find someone else, as my parents suggested, but I stuck with it until he felt the click too. It turned out to be the best decision of my life.
Which book should everyone read? The Seven-Day Weekend by Ricardo Semler, about balancing work and private life in a flexible way. If the sun is shining today, why not go outside and do your work on a rainy Sunday afternoon instead? I’d be all in favour of that. In general, I mainly read for work, not for pleasure at home. To relax, I take the dog for a walk, spend time with the children or watch series, sometimes of rather questionable quality, like Bridgerton or Emily in Paris. Delicious.
I spend most of my money on… the move we’re currently in the middle of. But apart from that: shoes. When my eldest was little, he once asked, “Mum, do you work for Zalando?” My husband sometimes sighs, “More shoes?” when a parcel arrives. But I’m not reckless with money. I think saving is important.
"My greatest fear? Snakes and other creepy-crawlies. Earthworms, slugs… I can’t deal with them"
Are you a mummy’s girl or a daddy’s girl? A daddy’s girl. My parents got divorced when I was 4, and I haven’t seen my biological father since my teens. My mother eventually met someone new, so I got a stepfather. He really felt like my dad. If he was fixing or doing something, I’d be right there beside him. I loved that. Sadly, I haven’t been in contact with them for about ten years now. I was the one who ended it. It was the hardest conversation I’d ever had. Let’s just say there was quite a mismatch in our expectations of each other. It all started when my husband and I moved to Geldrop, where we lived for seven years. Our eldest was born there. We couldn’t just pop over from Geldrop to Maastricht, so if we did visit, we also wanted to see our grandparents and in-laws. I gave everyone equal attention, but all I ever heard from my parents was, “Well, that was another lightning visit”. They always felt wronged. It became suffocating to the point where I said, “I’m sorry, but I’m choosing myself here”.
My greatest fear. Snakes and other creepy-crawlies. Earthworms, slugs… I can’t deal with them. My husband and middle son enjoy recreational fishing. We’ve agreed that they can keep a small amount of live bait in the house, as long as I never come across it.
The best advice I ever received. I can’t single out just one thing. I’m like a sponge when it comes to what people say to me. That includes criticism – I can take it. If something about me rubs you the wrong way, just tell me so we can talk about it. That way, I’ll get to know you a little better, too. I’m a very straightforward person; you can tell what I’m thinking from my face. I may be born and bred in Limburg, but I’m not one for beating around the bush.