The 15 biggest differences between French and American parenting

02.03.2018 00:24

french american parents Julien M. Hekimian/Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

There are few things that the mythos of the French lifestyle — which purports that everything the French do, from eating to wearing clothes to putting on weddings — hasn't touched.

It also extends, unsurprisingly, to parenting. And, as it turns out, there are a few distinctive differences in technique between parents in France and their American counterparts. Keep reading to check out what they are.

French parents create strong boundaries for their kids.

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In the book "Bringing Up Bebe," author Pamela Druckerman wrote that French parents establish clear expectations of what is expected and what is unacceptable behavior from their kids at an early age. This creates an authoritative parenting style and leaves little question as to who is in charge in the family.

French children learn four magic words.

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In the US, kids generally learn two "magic words," which are "please" and "thank you." According to "Bringing Up Bebe," French children learn four — "s'il vous plaît" (please), "merci" (thank you), "bonjour" (hello), and "au revoir" (goodbye). Although it is polite to say greet people in the US, in France, it is essential.

In "Bringing Up Bebe, Druckerman writes that, in France, "saying bonjour acknowledges the other person's humanity." So, it's important.

Kids eat adult meals.

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The concept of a "children's menu" or "kid's meal" — which tend to be bedrocks in American restaurants — aren't as common in France. According to the book "French Kids Eat Everything," there is very little distinction between what might appear on a parent or child's plate.

Kids are given strong, mature flavors from a young age (think Roquefort cheese and pate), which gives them time to develop a taste for things that their American counterparts would find "icky."

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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