First published 2014
Pamela Druckerman, a sharp and straightforward American journalist and former Wall Street Journal reporter, relocates to Paris with her English husband. She quickly notices that French children behave differently from typical Anglo-American kids. These children don't throw tantrums on playgrounds. They play independently when visiting others without constantly interrupting their parents. Most remarkably, they don't spit out food when offered something beyond pasta and french fries. Druckerman wonders if French children are genetically calmer than others. Determined to solve these mysteries, she begins carrying a notebook everywhere. She takes detailed notes about French parenting styles, the boundaries parents set, and the behavioral patterns of young mothers in French society. Her observations reveal a completely different approach to child-rearing that puzzles her American sensibilities. Through systematic study of these contrasting parenting philosophies, Druckerman uncovers the cultural strategies that shape French children's remarkably different behavior and attitudes toward food, play, and social interaction.
Genres: family-life, american, non-fiction, 21st-century, parenting, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, observational
Setting: Paris
Period: 21st-century
Paperback · Sindbad