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Interesting read. Spent close to 7 years in Europe and wish that we had spent more time observing kids. I remember an interesting story related by our friends. They were on vacation in Europe and observing a couple of French families in a beach setting. The adults were happily eating a wonderful meal, sipping wine and glancing at their kids playing on the beach. The kids never ventured into the water but were calmly playing in the sand. One little girl was in the buff much to the chagrin of our friends. The American couple were a nervous wreak watching the French kids, their own kids and having a hugely stressful day. The day didn't phase the French couples and they packed up their family at the end of the day and went back to wherever they were living/staying.
Dunno. As Americans, we seem much more stressed out by every day events. Our German neighbors were constantly telling us to relax and enjoy life a bit more. I always envied our neighbors as they set our for their 6 week vacation in their VW bus every summer. We should have joined them and often were invited. Much different attitudes over there in Europe I found.
It's interesting to look at where this American stress related to parenting might be coming from... Yes, I agree that American parents are too stressed about anything related to raising kids. I blame some of it on the "pop psychologists" who churn out books, educational programs, Baby Einstein products, and all the rest of it. People have been brainwashed by this pop psychology industry. Parents think that everything in their children's lives has to be micromanaged and perfect, or the kids will grow up to be monumental failures. Kids' lives don't have to be perfect for them to grow up into healthy, ordinary, well-adjusted people. I'm not a parent, though, so what do I know.
America is also more dog-eat-dog economically than Europe, though. People's expectation is that if they don't push their kids from the cradle to be over achievers, then they'll be washed up by 20. IMO, that might be an important difference too.
That's quite interesting. Actually I know a french couple that has three children, and are raising their kids in the U.S. They are very laid back, and I never saw them yell at their kids, punish them, etc. However, as toddlers their kids were extremely loud and threw huge temper tantrums regularly. One would often hit my youngest child. One of their kids drank from a bottle until he was 3. The parents just ignored it all. Now those kids are preteens and are very mature for their age, and well-behaved. But I can't say that for their early years.
I loved the "SUPERIOR" choice of words. It was the choice when Tiger Mom spoke, now the dudesse with the French. These media people know their craft.
Cause controversy, make blood boil, bring issues of superiority/inferiority to the table and suggest that America might just not have the monopoly on the former on everything.
You will get Americans' attention.
Mission accomplished.
"When I asked French parents how they disciplined their children, it took them a few beats just to understand what I meant. "Ah, you mean how do we educate them?" they asked."
I saw this book mentioned elsewhere. I just really see it as using stereotyping as a way to sell a book and a way to play into the self loathing that many Americans have that will make them run out and buy such a book.
I see Americans as having a diverse range of parenting styles..so that would be my first problem with such a book, saying all Americans do X and all French do Y.
I see Americans as having a diverse range of parenting styles..so that would be my first problem with such a book, saying all Americans do X and all French do Y.
Do you agree there are TRENDS in any society? Just certain ways of doing things that are favored by a significant enough portion of the population to become visible and to have an impact?
"ALL" people do "NOTHING" EVERYWHERE!
There is no place under the sun where ALL people do one particular thing.
Does that mean no one should ever notice and comment on trends?
Time to come up with a better "easy button" argument.
The "everybody's different" is getting so old and it is sooooo BAD that it should be practically outlawed.
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