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Why French Parents Are Superior
Wall Street Journal ^ | 2/4/12 | PAMELA DRUCKERMAN

Posted on 02/04/2012 9:13:39 AM PST by jimbo123

While Americans fret over modern parenthood, the French are raising happy, well-behaved children without all the anxiety. Pamela Druckerman on the Gallic secrets for avoiding tantrums, teaching patience and saying 'non' with authority.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: europeanunion; france; isurrender; itsthearrogance; lecheese; surrendermonkeys; torchacar4allah
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To: Opinionated Blowhard
They expect more from them, they don’t indulge them and they talk to them like adults. Their methods aren’t perfect but quite frankly, they are better in my opinion than the “you are special; what do you want” attitudes that American parents have toward their kids.

I agree with your post, but then there are people like Tim Tebow was always told that he was special, but that his special talents came from God and that God had a plan for him.

21 posted on 02/04/2012 9:53:35 AM PST by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

There is a whole lot of truth to this.
Europeans in general do raise their children differently.
They are firm along with being kind and loving. Tone of voice does make a difference. Ask any dog whisperer.

Learning patience is key as well as constancy and uniformity.
A child has to learn how to entertain himself and understand that parents are not constant playthings.
Montessori understood this well.

Wife and I also raised our son without trying to win favor.
Too many parents try to be their child’s best friend. It doesn’t work.

I bet also that European children have less incidence of ADD, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, etc., which are a result of constant catering to kids.

I was amazed at the kids that could speak more than one language over there.


22 posted on 02/04/2012 9:54:39 AM PST by A'elian' nation (Political correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred. Jacques Barzun)
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To: jimbo123
If I see one more American “modern” mother while in the grocery store asking her one year old what he/she wants to eat I will throw a temper tantrum. The child will eat what you serve him/her. End of story! Self esteem has nothing to do with what's for dinner. Period.
23 posted on 02/04/2012 9:55:28 AM PST by Chgogal (WSJ, Kristol, Krauthammer, Rove et al., STFU. Thank you.)
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To: A'elian' nation

One more thing. I think American parents try to ‘reason’ with their young kids too much. Young children aren’t capable of reasoning.


24 posted on 02/04/2012 9:56:43 AM PST by A'elian' nation (Political correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred. Jacques Barzun)
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To: Raycpa
The most terrifying words U.S. parents hear from their kids are “I’m bored”.

Heard these exact words from my nine-year-old daughter last weekend. My response was to tell her that there was no one was responsible for her boredom other than herself. She soon found something to amuse herself.

25 posted on 02/04/2012 9:58:49 AM PST by mojito
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Comment #26 Removed by Moderator

Comment #27 Removed by Moderator

To: jimbo123

That’s code for Arab Muslims.


28 posted on 02/04/2012 10:07:02 AM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: Moonman62
I agree with your post, but then there are people like Tim Tebow was always told that he was special, but that his special talents came from God and that God had a plan for him.

I agree with that. Children need to know that they are valued and loved by the Lord and their parents. But that is different from indulgence. Being told you are special can mean greater things are expected from you. That God has a plan for you even if your life seems to be going nowhere. That even if you live and die an average person, the Lord loves you just as much as Tim Tebow. I'm talking about the parents I know who, as the woman in the article says, think they were put on this earth to be their kids' servants. That is wrong and ultimately hurts the kid. The kid does not learn self sufficiency.

29 posted on 02/04/2012 10:07:40 AM PST by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: Chgogal

Can I get an amen??!!

It infuriates me to hear a parent going through the ‘what do you want to eat?’ routine. And then for them to allow the brat to say no to everything and think that it is somehow ok??!!

When I was young, we had grilled cheese sandwiches and tap water. Or kool-aid. On Friday nights, we were ecstatic to have frozen fish sticks cooked on the same cookie sheet as frozen french fries. When we had sleepovers, it was one 2 liter soda, Jiffy pop and a frozen pizza. We thought we were rich!!!!

No one asked what we wanted. We ate what was put in front of us and were grateful.


30 posted on 02/04/2012 10:08:13 AM PST by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: Lizavetta
we'd say "Boredom equals choredom"

LOL. My mother and father used to say the same type of thing to us kids. "Well, there's a vaccum cleaner in there that needs some use." or "The car needs washing."

But now it has backfired on my mother. She is retired and every once in a while she tells me she is bored. I get a big grin on my face and tell her, "Well, I'm sure you have a vaccum cleaner that needs some use . . . "

31 posted on 02/04/2012 10:10:40 AM PST by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: Navy Patriot

I was in France during Lance Armstrong’s final Tour De France and the frogs’ in Paris were pricks. But it wasn’t only to Americans, they hated everyone, especially Brits and Germans. When the Tour went to the mountains and countryside, the locals were the nicest people you could meet. They gave away free wine at each town and which resulted in visitors like myself mostly going to the barricades drunk.


32 posted on 02/04/2012 10:12:47 AM PST by max americana (Buttcrack Obama is an idiot)
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To: jimbo123
It could be, on whole, that Americans are some of the worst parents...but you HAVE to look at the averages and that includes ghetto and barrio dwellers. The inner cities.

Their only cultural immersion is what's on TV, usually MTV. Seen MTV lately?

They have no value or appreciation for knowledge or education. No basic instruction in manners. No respect for any authority.

They are really eternal 6 year olds and never mature beyond that.

They are less civilized than Islamic Arabs.

In CA you can see this in spades.

If you are in a nice part of town composed mostly of two-parent households (even if not the original parents), kids are generally well-behaved and respectful as they have learned that behavior from their parents.

Head to the other side of town and the exact opposite is true.

It's Lord of the Flies on a truly grand scale.

33 posted on 02/04/2012 10:12:47 AM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Phantom Phixer

I’ve spent considerable time in Belgium. Almost everyone speaks Dutch, French, and English. And by its border with Germany, they speak German as well.

I’m fortunate to have a dual citizenship - American/German

If Obama gets re-elected, I got a way out.


34 posted on 02/04/2012 10:14:42 AM PST by A'elian' nation (Political correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred. Jacques Barzun)
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To: jimbo123

Delayed gratification is something that quite a few adults need to learn also - they would have less debt.


35 posted on 02/04/2012 10:19:02 AM PST by posterchild (I'm old enough to remember when journalists bothered to look things up on wikipedia.)
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To: Raycpa

When I was growing up we were not allowed to say, “I’m bored”, and I never let my kids say it. Drives me insane to see how many parents think it is their job to keep the kids entertained.


36 posted on 02/04/2012 10:19:18 AM PST by Bigg Red (Pray for our republic.)
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To: wardaddy

Make it stop!

Each cultural subsystem has its own idiosyncracies. We’ve been dealing with lack of parenting for many years, here.

In fact, I look to the example of the Jews for excellent parenting: education in academics, music; arts and the classics as well as respect for family, in relation to what I witness.


37 posted on 02/04/2012 10:22:20 AM PST by stanne
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To: max americana
I've never met a rural Frog, but I expect they are like rural Americans, pretty much the opposite of slickers.
38 posted on 02/04/2012 10:24:09 AM PST by Navy Patriot (Join the Democrats, it's not Fascism when WE do it. (plagiarized))
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To: A'elian' nation

I’ve seen it in a lot of places, US included, but it’s sad that well behaved children are so notable by their rarity.

I recall joining a former girlfriend on a trip home to Mexico and being shocked at how well her nieces and nephews behaved. The children (of a wide age range) could dine at the family table with no problems and all play together fairly quietly. If they got too loud a calm reminder by grandfather was all it took.


39 posted on 02/04/2012 10:35:25 AM PST by posterchild (I'm old enough to remember when journalists bothered to look things up on wikipedia.)
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To: Cowgirl of Justice

Even my daughter is driven mad at the store by the little ill mannered creatures that pass for kids. Why in hell parents agonize and whine over their brats being in trouble, lazy, etc when they allowed a child to do as they please is more than I will ever understand.

I come from a ranch family-they were into healthy eating out of necessity-you ate what you grew/raised, period. Don’t want to eat fresh-picked spinach and grilled chicken that was running around yesterday? Okay, then go to bed hungry. Ethnic goodies (we are Hispanic) like tamales-only on weekends, lots of trouble to make, too much fat and there is no Taco Cabana. And no more than a couple hours of TV-out the door to play you go. Act out in a public place, and you got your ass smacked right then and there.

I married a ranch boy and we brought up our daughter the same way, even though we lived and worked in the city-she has thanked us many times.


40 posted on 02/04/2012 10:35:25 AM PST by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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