French Mothers Are Different

(photo source)

I’m sure most of you are familiar with the books French Women Don’t Get Fat and French Women Don’t Sleep Alone. If those two books (and the premises behind them) are not enough to make you envious of French women, maybe the next one will. In the new book, French Children Don’t Throw Food, author Pamela Druckerman highlights the differences between French and American mothers which go beyond throwing food….

5 Ways French Mothers Are Different Than American Mothers

1. French mothers don’t let children run their “parent” lives. In other words, just because they have children does not mean French mothers can’t have lives of their own.
2. French mothers pause before helping or soothing their young children, allowing their children to learn to soothe themselves on their own.
3. French mothers don’t distinguish between adult food and kid food – children eat what their parents eat – end of story.
4. French mothers don’t fill up their children with snacks all day long. Kids eat at meal times or may partake in le gouter on occasion.
5. French mothers treat their children as small adults. Although French mothers don’t see their children as equals, they do allow children more autonomy to learn about the world (including learning important lessons) as they keep a safe distance.

What else do you consider “French” in regard to parenting style?