French Lessons

This is so true!  It's time parents started being real parents and not their child's best friend.

FEBRUARY 9, 2012 BY SUSAN DENCH

Pamela Druckerman – an American married to a Brit living in France with their three children - has written a very interesting book, “Bringing Up Bebe”,  about how the French parent.  My first thought was ‘”oh brother, another knock on Americans.” But as I started reading, I found some great nuggets which should be used in bringing up children, no matter the nationality.

• Kids should be taught (“educated”) from birth to have patience, become self-reliant, be respectful and accept the word, “no.”
• When children are given a stern look (Mrs. Druckerman calls them “big eyes” but in our house, my husband, who majored in social anthropology, calls them “baboon eyes”  after the signal these primates give potential enemies as a warning), they should actually know this means something and that there will be consequences for ignoring the message.
• Children should be taught basic courtesies such as saying hello and good bye, thank you and please.
• Parents must remind their children that, “It’s me who decides.”
• One rule which we can learn from – instead of allowing the kids to graze all day, French children are allowed only one snack, usually between 4 and 4:30.

Children do best with limitations, expectations, boundaries, accountability and consistent, fair and firm direction from involved parents. And it really doesn’t matter where they are brought up if these things are practiced.

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous