Monday, April 8, 2013

Consumer Critique: French Twist

It's always fun to read parenting books, even if you're generally happy with your parenting style. I find I'm still either to able gain a few nuggets of wisdom, find strategies I know won't work for me so I don't have to waste time trying them, or get confirmation of what I'm already doing. That last is mostly what I found in the book French Twist: An American Mom's Experiment in Parisian Parenting. A great example of this parenting style comes in the very first page, "If there is no blood, don't get up."

That may sound a little merciless, but it's really not. The idea behind the book is that too many parents coddle their kids too much. The author is jealous of her French friends and their calm parenting style, with little negotiation and tantrums, and decides to start trying to parent with elements of their style. Some elements are similar to a free-range parenting style, some elements are more authoritative than many parents here. But it works for many families. The book is well-written, divided into topics such as the family meal, boundaries, and satisfaction vs. wanting more.

It's a good read, both for people who are dissatisfied with the way their family life is currently going, or people who are just curious what other parents are doing!

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