Rachelle's Reading List, Monday February 6th, 2012

Why French Parents Are Superior [WSJ] Yet another parenting article I voraciously read through on how to not F*ck up your child. UUUUUGGGGHHH this is going to be quite a long ride for me and Maxwell. I am so bad at saying 'no' to people as it is! Pamela Druckerman's new book "Bringing Up Bebe," catalogs her observations about why French children seem so much better behaved than their American counterparts. And, it's taking the mommy world by storm. Who knew being a soccer mom was totally un chic? The latest publication to pick apart the book and the great mommy debate? The WSJ.

Driven partly by maternal desperation, I have spent the last several years investigating French parenting. And now, with Bean 6 years old and twins who are 3, I can tell you this: The French aren't perfect, but they have some parenting secrets that really do work. Delphine said that she never set out specifically to teach her kids patience. But her family's daily rituals are an ongoing apprenticeship in how to delay gratification. Delphine said that she sometimes bought Pauline candy. (Bonbons are on display in most bakeries.) But Pauline wasn't allowed to eat the candy until that day's snack, even if it meant waiting many hours. French parents and caregivers find it hard to believe that we are so laissez-faire about this crucial ability.