Mom Life in Luxembourg

Screen Addiction, Bodymaxxing, & The Manopshere. What to do if you're raising boys in 2026

Alex Rakochy is the Upper School Deputy Principal at the International School of Luxembourg, where he leads strategic initiatives focused on student wellbeing, restorative practices, and inclusive school culture. With extensive experience in international education, Alex has worked to embed restorative approaches across school systems, support digital and physical practices that promote student wellbeing, and develop programmes that foster belonging, accountability, and positive relationships. His work is guided by the belief that schools are at their best when wellbeing, relationships, and learning are viewed as inseparable.

Jon Adams is the proud father of two amazing boys. Originally from New York, Jon has worked as an educator in the States and around the world for the past twenty years. Currently, Jon is the Lower School Principal at the International School of Luxembourg. Jon is a big believer in building inclusive communities at schools with strong parent partnerships in order to support the holistic development of our students. He is passionate about community education about screen use and social media and is eager to engage with parents and educators about this topic to learn with and support each other.

Resources:

Common Sense Media: great resource for parents to better understand screen time, social media, phone use and more. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

The Anxious Generation: a good overview of the impact phones and social media has on our children. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/171681821-the-anxious-generation

Dr. Kaitlyn Regehr and her book, Smartphone Nation: understanding screen addiction, social media use and digital detoxing

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/220404086-smartphone-nation

White Ribbon: free online course about the manosphere and online radicalization. https://www.whiteribbon.ca/raisingboys-manosphere?lng=en

Recommending Toxicity

The role of algorithmic recommender functions on YouTube Shorts and TikTok in promoting male supremacist influencers: study on the impact of algorithm driven social media

https://www.dcu.ie/antibullyingcentre/recommending-toxicity

Brain Fog & More. Everything a midwife nurse wants you to know about the mental side of perimenopause & beyond.

Cathy Cribben-Pearse is a passionate healthcare professional with over 25 years of clinical experience as a Registered Nurse and Midwife. She integrates medical expertise with holistic, evidence-based education to empower individuals and teams to achieve their goals.

Cathy holds a Nursing Degree, Midwifery Degree, an MBA in Project Management, and is a Certified Executive Coach with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). Her academic achievements also include British Menopause Society (BMS) certification, completion of a Postgraduate Certificate in Menopause Medicine from the University of South Wales, UK, and completion of Dr Louise Newson’s Menopause Training. With a deep passion for women’s health, Cathy’s mission is to bridge the gap between medical understanding and everyday wellbeing, launching "Hermona, by Oaktree mentoring" supporting women, workplaces and communities to navigate hormonal transitions with confidence and clarity,

Her approach combines clinical insight, leadership experience and compassionate coaching to inspire resilience, confidence, and meaningful impact across healthcare and corporate settings. Cathy’s work continues to exemplify integrity, empathy and excellence, empowering people and systems alike to grow, connect and thrive. Alongside her clinical and health education work, Cathy is an award-winning mentor, educator and executive coach. She has designed and led national and international mentorship programmes, including initiatives supporting over 200+ nurses across 50+ countries and large-scale national frameworks embedding new healthcare legislation for more than 1000 professionals.

Under Cathy’s leadership, OakTree Mentoring has achieved global recognition for innovation and excellence in healthcare. Cathy’s programmes have earned major honours including the 2022 EMCC Global Mentoring Award, and she was selected as a finalist in the 2023 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award from among 52,000 submissions worldwide. In 2024, she was named among the Global 200 Women Power Leaders, underscoring her international influence and contribution to leadership in healthcare. Her array of accolades, including the Stevie MENA Thought Leadership Award (2023) and the International Brilliance Award (2023, London), positions her as a recognised thought leader in the evolution of evidence-based delivery of knowledge and care.

Cathys email: [email protected]

Instagram: cathycp_menopause_nurse

Join our education group: click on the link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/D4Z9krMXjx7DAo4Nq8G8iZ

Letz Menopause Luxembourg: https://letzmenopause.lu

#8 Parent Advocacy In Real Life with Kate & Jen

Jen Cooper and Kate Brassington facilitate an independent, parent-led neurodiverse community group at ISL, which has expanded to include other English-speaking schools in Luxembourg.

Both Kate and Jen are ADHD mums with neurodivergent kids who love supporting others and creating a sense of community for those who may be far from home.

Kate is a Coaching Psychologist running her private practice in Luxembourg (website: https://katebrassington.com/). She specialises in trauma-informed and ND-informed coaching for adults, and is a PhD candidateJen Cooper and Kate Brassington facilitate an independent, parent-led neurodiverse community group at ISL, which has expanded to include other English-speaking schools in Luxembourg. To learn more about Kate Brassington, please visit: https://katebrassington.com/

#7 International School of Luxembourg with Gretchen Blanchard

Gretchen is a stay at home mom from New York and has been in Luxembourg for about 5 years. She has 3 teenagers, all of whom attend the International School of Luxembourg, also known as ISL. She is an active member of the ISL Parent Community Group.

#6 Michele Lucius with Ulrik Mueller

Join Hayley Allam as she sits down with Ulrik Moeller to discuss what it's really like attending Michel Lucius (ISML). Ulrik Møller is, first and foremost, a proud dad of three daughters, passionately committed to the future of Luxembourg, the country he calls home.

As President of the Parents Association at the International School Michel Lucius, he tirelessly advocates for a equitable and inclusive educational environment. A seasoned finance leader, Ulrik sits on global boards while running his own firms.

Passionate about giving back and uniting people, he’s also at the helm of various cultural and civic bodies. You can reach him on social media @letzdoittogether

#5 Raising Differently Wired Kids with Debbie Reber

Debbie Reber, MA is a parenting activist, bestselling author, speaker, and the CEO and founder of Tilt Parenting, a resource, consultancy, and community with a focus on transforming the lives of parents raising neurodivergent children. She is the host of the op-performing Tilt Parenting Podcast, and her most recent book is Differently Wired: A Parent’s Guide to Raising an Atypical Child with Confidence and Hope. Since 2013, Debbie, her husband, and differently wired young adult have called Amsterdam and Brooklyn home.

#4 What's the difference between gifted, HP or ASD with Dr. Henderika de Vries

In this Episode Hayley sits down with Dr. Henderika de Vries, former Fulbright Yale Scholar, PhD in creativity from the Sorbonne Paris Cité, to unpack what is Giftedness and what it's like to have a high potential child. We also cover the overlaps between giftedness, Autism and ADHD.

#3 Over the Rainbow with Kelly

Join Hayley Allam as she sits down with Kelly Herkert-Cannady, mom of two, to talk about why she chose Over the Rainbow for her youngest son, who is in first grade.

#2 Talking to your kids about university with Anneke

Anneke Hudson is Half English, half Dutch; born in Kenya; raised in Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, Oman, USA and England; and now lives in Luxembourg. She understands what it means to be both a "3rd Culture Kid" and, as a married mother, an expat parent.

She is a Registered Career Development Professional with the Career Development Institute in the UK and hold a Masters in Career Development and Coaching from the University of Warwick in the UK.

Anneke provides young people with the necessary tools to begin their career journey with curiosity and confidence, and to enable parents to be better placed to guide their child through this exciting period in their life, drawing on her own passion for adventure: trying new things, visiting new places and being on the road.

#1 Summer Parks with Maude

Maude Van Rymenant is a Belgian mom living in Luxembourg. In addition to her (full time) day job, she’s also the content creator behind the hugely popular IG handle @you.are.family, dedicated to discovering family activities (museums, parks, summer slides …) you name it. Focused on Luxembourg and bordering countries. You can find Maude on IG or TikTok.