Can the ‘Bonkers’ podcast calm the back-to-school storm in a child’s head?
Het Nieuwsblad highlighted its new Dutch-language children’s podcast ‘Bonkers’ on 1 September 2026 as a playful way for families to discuss worries returning with the school year. The practical takeaway is simple: listen together, ask a specific follow-up question and contact the school, CLB or another professional if distress persists or disrupts daily life.
The start of school changes children’s routines, workload and social environment at once. A story-led podcast can help families name difficult feelings, but parents also need to distinguish an ordinary settling-in period from persistent distress requiring support.
highlighted its new Dutch-language children’s podcast ‘Bonkers’ on 1 September 2026, presenting it as a playful conversation starter for children and parents facing worries at the beginning of the Flemish school year. Episodes follow children dealing with anger, fear of making mistakes, bullying, grief, family secrets or difficulty becoming independent. For families, the most useful approach is to listen together and then ask one concrete question: “Which part felt familiar to you?”
The newspaper describes Bonkers as a cheerfully chaotic “crisis team” offering first aid for children’s worries. Podcast-maker brings real questions from children into the programme, while its superhero-like framing gives emotionally heavy subjects some distance and humour. One featured child is Gil, 11, who feels watched whenever he makes a mistake in class; another is Ramy, 10, who wants help controlling his anger. Other episodes address bereavement, overprotective parenting and bullying. The programme is available through the Nieuwsblad app and regular podcast platforms, according to the publisher.
That format matters because the first school weeks can be demanding without anything being seriously wrong. Children must readjust to earlier mornings, classroom concentration, homework and a busy social environment. In guidance previously published by , AP University College lecturer Steven Gielis described clarity, rhythm and conversation as the three most useful anchors during this transition. He advised parents to answer practical questions, restore predictable routines and ask more specific questions than the familiar “How was school?”
## Use the podcast as an opening, not an answer
A child may find it easier to discuss Gil’s fear of mistakes than to announce, “I am anxious in class.” Parents can use that distance without interrogating them. After listening, try asking what the child thought the character needed, whether something similar happens at school, or which adult could help. A drawing, a walk or a conversation in the car may work better than sitting face-to-face, particularly when the child is still learning the language used at school.
For expatriate and multilingual households, that language point deserves attention. Bonkers is in Dutch and is therefore most directly useful to children attending Dutch-language schools. Parents do not have to understand every word before listening together: asking a child to explain an episode in English, French or the family’s home language can itself reveal what stayed with them. It can also expand the emotional vocabulary needed to describe a problem to a teacher.
The institutional vocabulary differs across Belgium. In Dutch-language education, every school works with a Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding, or . Official Flemish education information says the CLB operates independently of the school, provides free guidance and can help with health, learning, school or home difficulties. Parents and pupils can ask their school for its CLB contact details; anonymous online contact is also available through CLBchat.
In French-language education, the equivalent first-line service is generally the centre psycho-médico-social, or . A 2025 guide from the says each school is served by a centre PMS whose free, professionally confidential team may include psychologists, social workers, nurses and speech therapists. In , where Dutch- and French-language systems operate alongside one another, the correct route depends on the school’s education network, not simply on whether the family lives in a commune with a French or Dutch name.
## A practical three-step check
First, restore predictability. Write down the morning sequence, school journey, collection arrangements and after-school plan. Prepare bags and breakfast the previous evening where possible, and avoid filling every September afternoon with new activities. ’s back-to-school guidance notes that both children and parents can become overstretched when school and hobbies restart simultaneously.
Second, observe patterns rather than one difficult day. Tiredness, irritability or reluctance during the opening weeks may reflect an ordinary adjustment. Repeated stomach aches, headaches, sleep disruption, panic, sustained withdrawal, aggression or refusal to attend deserve closer attention. Physical complaints should not automatically be labelled psychological: a huisarts or médecin généraliste can assess possible medical causes.
Third, bring in support when the difficulty persists, becomes intense or affects school, sleep, friendships or family life. Start with the class teacher, zorgcoördinator, leerlingbegeleider or éducateur, depending on the school. Ask for the or if the concern crosses educational, emotional or health boundaries. Families in and Dutch-speaking can also approach a . The Flemish agency says these locally organised partnerships bring together preventive healthcare, parenting support and opportunities for families to meet; the precise services vary by gemeente or commune.
## What the back-to-school storm reveals
The programme’s title echoes the idea that a nieuw schooljaar can create a storm in menig kinderhoofd. Its broader value lies in making ordinary vulnerability discussable without treating every worry as a diagnosis. Stories, humour and shared listening can reduce embarrassment and help a child find words. They cannot establish why symptoms occur, resolve bullying on their own or replace professional assessment.
There is also a legitimate tension between reassurance and early intervention. Parenting specialists commonly advise giving children time to settle while staying observant. Schools and support services, however, need prompt information when there is suspected bullying, danger, severe anxiety or repeated absence. The sound approach is proportionate: stay calm about temporary discomfort, but do not wait passively when functioning or safety is deteriorating.
Bonkers is likely to remain useful beyond the first week of September because its subjects recur throughout the year. Parents can revisit a relevant episode before a class change, examination period or difficult conversation. What remains unknown is how widely the new series will be used and whether its publisher will independently evaluate its effect. For now, it is best understood as a warm Dutch-language doorway into conversation—one that should lead onwards to the child, the school and, where necessary, qualified help.
Impact
Regional — The podcast’s Dutch language makes it especially relevant in Flanders and Dutch-language education in Brussels. French-language schools use the separate Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles system, where families generally contact a centre PMS rather than a CLB.
Local — In Brussels, the relevant support route depends primarily on the child’s education system. Families using Dutch-language education can approach the school’s CLB, while those in French-language education generally contact its centre PMS. The Dutch-language Bonkers podcast may therefore be most immediately accessible to Dutch-speaking and multilingual households comfortable listening in Dutch. Brussels families may also look for a locally organised Huis van het Kind, although available activities and services depend on the local provider.
What it means for you
Families can listen to Bonkers together at the start of the 2026-27 school year and then ask one concrete question about what felt familiar, frightening or helpful. Treat it as a conversation prompt, not a diagnosis. If a child’s distress persists or begins disrupting school, sleep, relationships or everyday routines, contact the school or the appropriate guidance service: CLB for Dutch-language education and centre PMS for French-language education. These school-linked services are free; centre PMS support is confidential, and CLB guidance is independent of the school.
Opposing perspectives
- Parents favouring gentle normalisation
Parents and educators who favour watchful waiting see temporary tiredness, irritability and uncertainty as a normal response to a major routine change. They may value Bonkers because it creates a low-pressure conversation without immediately medicalising ordinary childhood discomfort.
- School wellbeing and early-intervention professionals
CLB, centre PMS and mental-health professionals would distinguish a conversation aid from assessment or treatment. Persistent school refusal, severe anxiety, bullying, safety concerns or symptoms disrupting daily functioning warrant direct contact with the school, a doctor or the appropriate support service.
Who, where and what
Key people, places and terms in this story
Region where the Dutch-language podcast and CLB support route are especially relevant.
Region where Dutch- and French-language education systems provide different school-support routes.
Podcast-maker behind Bonkers.
Child featured by Het Nieuwsblad in a separate account about using the podcast to process her father’s death.
Belgian newspaper that publishes Bonkers and highlighted it on 1 September 2026.
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Podcast-maker behind Bonkers.
Child featured by Het Nieuwsblad in a separate account about using the podcast to process her father’s death.
Region where the Dutch-language podcast and CLB support route are especially relevant.
Region where Dutch- and French-language education systems provide different school-support routes.
Belgian newspaper that publishes Bonkers and highlighted it on 1 September 2026.
Dutch-language children’s podcast using a playful crisis-team format to discuss children’s worries.
Free, school-linked but independent guidance service for pupils in Dutch-language education.
Free and confidential support service serving schools in French-language education.
Locally organised family-support network offering preventive healthcare, parenting support and meeting opportunities.
Authority responsible for the French-language education system referenced in the article.
Flemish agency providing information about parenting support and Huizen van het Kind.
Belgian public-service news outlet providing earlier coverage of back-to-school and parenting stress.
Family-support service featured in earlier reporting about parenting stress.
Official Flemish education information source cited for the CLB support system.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceHet Nieuwsblad — Een nieuw schooljaar, dat is storm in menig kinderhoofdPrimaryprimary· nieuwsblad.be· 1 September 2026Retrieved 1 September 2026· 31 days ago· Dated
- View sourceHet Nieuwsblad — Dankzij nieuwe podcast kon Liz overlijden van papa een plaats gevencorroborating· nieuwsblad.be· 14 July 2026Retrieved 1 September 2026· 80 days ago· Dated
- View sourceVRT NWS — Terug naar school-stress? Met deze tips maak je het makkelijkerbackground· vrt.be· 31 August 2022Retrieved 1 September 2026· 1493 days ago· Background / context
- View sourceVRT NWS — Kind en Gezin helpt ouders omgaan met opvoedstresscorroborating· vrt.be· 2 February 2024Retrieved 1 September 2026· 973 days ago· Dated
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.