The byline helps even more... One American Mother Discovers The Wisdom Of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman - she is an American living in Paris! and yes, she discovered some things along the way, and I think we have to THANK GOD she decided to delightfully share these things with us. I am sure that there are some parents that are going to find this book irritating and probably somehow 'wrong' but that is only if you are short-sided and know it all! In my opinion, I LOVE to hear what other people are doing as far as parenting. There is ALWAYS something that you can learn, there is always some kind of tid-bit of information that you can use to become a better parent and I don't know... I'm going to read it!
The interview I heard was on NPR, and it was a terrific short quip on the book, and a little QandA with the Author (you can hear it here). Somehow I felt that it was the antithesis of the Tiger Mom but possibly with similar results. Wherever Pamela looked in Paris, the locals seemed to be employing a certain je ne sais quoi that was making their kids behave better than typical American children. One of my favorite points was this; one key to this cultivation of tastes appears to be exposure. Druckerman points out that in France, "there is no category of food called kids' food. Kids and adults, from the start, eat the same thing." She went further to say "the French view on food is the parent must educate their child and that appreciation for different food is something you cultivate over time," Druckerman says.
You know I am going to glom onto the food thing but the other points in French life seem equally interesting and talked about with a viewpoint of delight and not scorn. She goes on to say "The French view is really one of balance, I think. ... What French women would tell me over and over is, it's very important that no part of your life — not being a mom, not being a worker, not being a wife — overwhelms the other part," Druckerman says. I'm going to have to read more on that, but I can't wait!
I love the idea of this book and you can bet it will be on my sidetable! thank you Pamela for having the idea to write this book...
Bringing Up Bébé - get it at your LOCAL bookstore (or if you HAVE to go online here)
