"The Parenting Gap"

[Saffron]

Any thoughts on this recent article?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/01/parenting-france-britain

"First British women came under attack for being chubbier and less chic than their stylish Gallic sisters. Now another critical salvo has been fired across the Channel, this time over our ability to bring up well-behaved children."

I think the thing that stands out most is how misogynist it is, and the book the article refers to was written by a women. But is this one woman's conclusion correct? I wouldn't like to think so, but I bet she sells loads of books anyway!! Interesting food for thought. xx

[Monkey]

Article fails to mention that any self respecting French baby goes for their bi-weekly "clapping" session. Nothing to do with rythm but a hard core method used by physios to get rid of mucus in the throat each time they have bronchiolitis (aka a cold):))

Pity me, French mum bringing up boisterous tomboyish toddler in the uk and just back from a week in France...

[Saffron]

The book --by its own admission-- looks at a small group w/in a narrow band of society and draws comparisons to hyperbolic generalisations. So much so, that I can't see it as anything other than ridiculous! (Do people really make money out of this? Geez, I need to change jobs!)

Monkey, we'll look out for you at the playground: Elegant French mum with impeccable toddler. (I'm the disheveled and slightly crazy-looking mother with run away stylie toddler girl of course ;-) )

[Moos]

'French Women Don't Get Fat' was nonsense as well - the article was so right in that these books tap into our self-hating tendencies. BCBG Parisiennes may be super-thin, but in regional France there are just as many rounder women as in Britain.

[Monkey]

Very true Moos. And the parisiennes and other sparrows have their weekly "malaise" due to low calorie intake. I am so glad I am over here!

[bluesuperted]

I'm going to take my Anglo-Saxon chances and happily exchange a few tuts over my toddler on the Eurostar for an increased likelihood of a more community and socially-minded adult in the future!

[Saffron]

Phew, glad we're able to find some levity in this! A (childless, male) friend actually posted the link on my Husband's FB page, and I think he meant for it to be taken seriously!!??

[Otta]

French schools are very much desks in rows, sit with exercise books, don't talk.

I'd rather have a "badly behaved" child any day.

[Yak]

To say nothing of the horrific back problems even very young kids have due to carrying so many books to and from school...

Having said that, nothing got me to behave like my mother hissing "ca suffit" at me across a dinner table (she was a French teacher and boy, we knew we needed to stop mucking around when she swapped languages!)

[Sanne Panne]

It'll be interesting to see proper statistics about behavioural problems, happiness in life, family relations and maybe even academic achievement 20-30 years after a trend "settles" in a country. I can't imagine the extremer cases of Anglo-softness (where toddlers smacking other toddlers' heads are just told to "calm down now sweetness") really being good either.

I'm not playing devil's advocate and I'm not "for" the French case either, most definitely not smacking kids or scaring them into behaving, but a bit of continental clarity (i.e. boundaries that parents stick to) can't hurt anyone.. I think ;)

[Saffron]

Clarity doesn't come with continents. It holds a world of its own. ;-)

[Sanne Panne]

I know I know.... but since we're discussing generalisations I trust it won't be taken any more literally than "the parisiennes" :)

[Moos]

You have a point. I wouldn't put up with my sprogs running riot in a restaurant either*.

*check out me alliteration there.

[Saffron]

Sanne Panne Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I know I know.... but since we're discussing

> generalisations I trust it won't be taken any more

> literally than "the parisiennes" :)

Hahaha! Yes, was very much meant to be tongue-in-cheek!!:))