French Children Don't Throw Food: The hilarious NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER changing parents’ lives

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I especially disliked the section on sleeping babies. To someone who has tried "la stinkin' Pause" for many a baby, and many a night, my babies never figured it out like her precious "Bean" did in 9 minutes. how annoying.

The French are rightly amazed at what spoilt brats some countries manage to raise (though the use of the French labelling of all English speakers as Anglo-Saxon as assuming we are the same is rather frustrating).

I loved this book in spite of its many criticisms of what was my personal devotion to the Dr. Sears School of Attachment Parenting and in spite of its celebration of the working mother, a lifestyle of which I know nothing and a topic which I find to be complicated and uncomfortable to discuss. There is no mention of homeschooling. She also published Lust In Translation: Infidelity from Tokyo to Tennessee in 2007 with Penguin Group that examined the nature of marital infidelity. She claims that North America is the worst place to have an extramarital affair, because of the high degree of honesty Americans expect from their partners, and observed that the French have a much more understanding and permissive attitude towards adultery. [8] [9] I was originally going to read the first couple of chapters, which deal with infants, and stop there. But much to my surprise, this was a far better book than I had imagined. What I was expecting was another pat, self-help-section miracle solution to everyone's parenting woes type of book (the endorsement by and comparison to French Women Don't Get Fat wasn't helping). What I found instead was an honest, informative, well-researched, and well-written account of an American mother raising children in Paris - and trying to understand the sometimes startling cultural differences she saw. I was surprised at how much I disliked this book. I couldn't read very much without putting it down in disgust. It just made me so mad. American and French society are so different that of COURSE American parents differ in their parenting styles. I don't think one journalist talking to a bunch of friends and neighbors can constitute a new parenting style or even be included as a parenting book. She added: "We consider our children to be small people, but they are not equal to an adult. They need authority, they need rules and they need to be kept in line. A child is a child and has his place. In France we see authority as a form of affection and believe that a child blossoms because of, not in spite of, that authority. The bottom line is my child can have his own opinion, but it's me who decides."

Let me start by saying that I could write a doctoral thesis on this book. You know, if I were a lot smarter and still in school and hadn't had to look up how to spell "thesis". So, let's start from the beginning: pregnancy and childbirth. There is no legitimized "special" state of gluttony, no: "The baby wants oysters (cakes, barbecue, substitute the right one)." Strict weight control throughout pregnancy. It is not considered shameful to directly tell the expectant mother that it is not worth eating so much and moving so little – it is not good for her or the child. Positive Takeaways- It's possible French parents feel less guilt because they have a more standard parenting method compared to American's buffet of child experts- who usually contradict one another. Whether they are happy, have friends or are kind is an added bonus in the way we educate our children."I do think there is a generational phenomenon of helicopter parenting and Mommy martyrdom; however, I don't think that defines America's parenting practice as a whole. While I appreciate the mentioned French notion of fostering autonomy, I don't believe it was an earth shattering new parenting philosophy or approach. I laughed through the explanation of fostering autonomy by allowing children one swear word, one that has been used and said by many generations: "caca boudin" (translated to caca sausage). Apparently, if I let my boys run around the house saying "shit", as it is only to be done in private, they are gaining important lessons in self worth and autonomy. Ummmmm, ok.

French mothers often have a greater sense of detachment from their children, says Dr Caroline Thompson, a Paris-based child psychologist and family therapist who grew up in America until the age of eight and has a British father. She believes differences in parenting are largely down to the difference in how the mothers view themselves. While I had the underlying thought that maybe it wouldn't be fun, it conflicted with the idea of, "Well, maybe it *could* be. I mean, it can't all be bad." And what the author describes as the "French" method of parenting is pretty much word for word how I always thought I would be as a parent, particularly when discussing the magic of the word "no." I just never got that. I never understood why parents act as though seeing their kids cry for the stupidest reasons was going to break them psychologically. Granted, I have the benefit of working with toddlers and preschoolers, so I've seen tantrums over everything under the sun, which has given me the benefit of some practice/foresight. In that sense, this book is a great resource to sort of get your head in the game before the newbie gets here; make some loose decisions about what you're going to do beforehand and the it's easier to follow through. They eat their greens, don’t throw tantrums and go to bed on time… How French mothers’ ‘tough love’ means their children never step out of line” Let me first say, that I am not a parent. Nor do I intend to become a parent in the near future. I would like to have children within the next four or five years, but am in no rush within that time frame. So I know how odd it might seem for a non-parent to read a parenting book. I can’t believe this book is so popular. It leads me to believe that this woman’s publicist is a genius and that the readers who like this book are the same ones that like The Help, which includes the women who replace their entire wardrobes with Lululemon outfits as soon as they become moms.Technically speaking, I read this a little late - if you actually want your newborn to sleep through the night, you're supposed to use the French mojo before three months. Regardless, what I appreciated so much about this book is that it held up an alternate paradigm to consider. And the book doesn't sell it as an all-or-nothing deal. In fact, "all" is probably an impossibility without the ensconcement of French culture and its excellent childcare benefits. Reading the book felt like intensely good reflecting material for being mindful and aware of what is good and what can be, for choosing my own parenting path. Some have complained that the author's comments are observational, not scientific. True. But that makes her observations and comments no less valid; or, even, less true. She received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Colgate University and a master's in international affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in 1998. [3] Lise Fuccellaro, mother of four children aged eight, 12, 14 and 16, lived in England for seven years before returning to the Paris region.