Why French Parents are Superior

[Ronja]

Regarding how / when / if to react to scrapes. I noticed this around the age of 18 months - 2 years, with both our kids: if they fell in the yard, they checked if I had seen. If the girl thought I hadn't, nine times out of ten she picked herself up and continued whatever she had been doing. But if she thought I had seen her fall -

I learned to look away very quickly when they fell - and they haven't managed to kill themselves yet.

[Bella Fortuna]

Regarding how / when / if to react to scrapes. I noticed this around the age of 18 months - 2 years, with both our kids: if they fell in the yard, they checked if I had seen. If the girl thought I hadn't, nine times out of ten she picked herself up and continued whatever she had been doing. But if she thought I had seen her fall -

I learned to look away very quickly when they fell - and they haven't managed to kill themselves yet.

Yep. And you can tell when they're seriously shaken and do need comfort.

[hadespussercats]

Regarding how / when / if to react to scrapes. I noticed this around the age of 18 months - 2 years, with both our kids: if they fell in the yard, they checked if I had seen. If the girl thought I hadn't, nine times out of ten she picked herself up and continued whatever she had been doing. But if she thought I had seen her fall -

I learned to look away very quickly when they fell - and they haven't managed to kill themselves yet.

I remember falling down the stairs when I was six or seven-- not too hurt, I was crying more from shock. But no one was around to see it.

So I walked to where mom was, pretended to fall and started crying again.

[Ronja]

Regarding how / when / if to react to scrapes. I noticed this around the age of 18 months - 2 years, with both our kids: if they fell in the yard, they checked if I had seen. If the girl thought I hadn't, nine times out of ten she picked herself up and continued whatever she had been doing. But if she thought I had seen her fall -

I learned to look away very quickly when they fell - and they haven't managed to kill themselves yet.

I remember falling down the stairs when I was six or seven-- not too hurt, I was crying more from shock. But no one was around to see it.

So I walked to where mom was, pretended to fall and started crying again.

.

I bet you're not the only one who pulled that stunt.

[maiforpeace]

Listen, French women don't seem to get fat in the vast numbers that American women do. But neither do Chinese women. Or Somalian women.

Or rich American women, for that matter.

The titles in question were written to be provocative, as you pointed out, Mai. There is in fact a meme amongst Americans that the French are superior-- this is the drive behind the "Le Car," or any number of French-sounding brand names to give a product cachet.

And while I don't argue that there are obnoxious American children, or that many French children may have pleasant manners, I'd rather hear about the practices that underlie such outcomes, rather than having to swallow some line about how French parents are better than me. Provocative title is provoking-- I'd say "as designed," except it makes me averse to spending a dime to read it.

And, if anecdotal evidence like, "all the French children I've met were charming" (paraphrase) is acceptable, then I have to point out that most of the French people I've met really do think they're superior to Americans. Even the ones who'd rather not identify as such.

The French have 10% the rate of obesity of their American counterparts...and not just the rich ones either.

Why French People Don't Get Fat

As for the kids, the evidence may be anecdotal but so far, living with my cousins with children, and being around their friends with children, it's all true...their kids are different from the kids of my friends in the US. I have been observing closely what they seem to be doing differently, and will report back in a week.

[Bella Fortuna]

[hadespussercats]

Where did that Ele go, anyway?

She was charming. Her parents must have been French.

[FBM]

I have two classmates who are French. One is thin, the other is clinically obese, I'd say.

[maiforpeace]

I have two classmates who are French. One is thin, the other is clinically obese, I'd say.

10% of the obesity rate of their American counterparts is pretty significant and not anecdotal...but it is definitely cultural, as you pointed out in an earlier post. That video covers some of it.

Another thing I have observed is that they do nearly as much solitary eating as we do in the US.

[Bella Fortuna]

Where did that Ele go, anyway?

She was charming. Her parents must have been French.

That was a bizarre and unpleasant set of posts by her. I don't remember her previous posts being anything like those.

[FBM]

I have two classmates who are French. One is thin, the other is clinically obese, I'd say.

10% of the obesity rate of their American counterparts is pretty significant and not anecdotal...but it is definitely cultural, as you pointed out in an earlier post. That video covers some of it.

Another thing I have observed is that they do nearly as much solitary eating as we do in the US.

Yeah, the stats are more important than my anecdote. The big guy is also Muslim, if that makes any diff. Which, as just another ancecdote, it doesn't.

[Warren Dew]

Why French People Don't Get Fat

Talk about denial. Just look at those pictures - stacks of cheese, not even any bread or wine in sight, let alone processed sugar - and she closes her eyes and claims it doesn't matter what they eat. She should just admit it: they don't get fat because they're on low carb, high fat diets.

[maiforpeace]

Why French People Don't Get Fat

Talk about denial. Just look at those pictures - stacks of cheese, not even any bread or wine in sight, let alone processed sugar - and she closes her eyes and claims it doesn't matter what they eat. She should just admit it: they don't get fat because they're on low carb, high fat diets.

The reason you didn't see any bread is because it's usually not sold in the open market. Instead, there's a bakery/pastry shop within a couple of blocks of anywhere, open 7 days a week. Same goes for wine, obviously you wouldn't want it sitting out at higher temperatures.

If they were only eating the diet you speak of, eventually that sort of diet is going to give you heart disease...so how come their rate of heart disease isn't off the charts then?

I've been here in Paris for at least ten days now and my relatives consume at least one, if not two baguettes a day, and my family being mostly Vietnamese tend to eat less of these kinds of carbs than the average Frenchman. For breakfast? It's either bread or croissants, some kind of carbohydrate. The kids always have some carb like cookies, bread with butter and jam or chocolate, or crepes for an afternoon snack. And bread accompanies every main meal, lunch or dinner in addition to dessert which is almost always served at dinnertime.

My aunt and I at the local open market on Sunday. I was searching for white eggs to color for an Easter egg hunt

[hadespussercats]

If they were only eating the diet you speak of, eventually that sort of diet is going to give you heart disease...so how come their rate of heart disease isn't off the charts then?

Well, of course the French love bread. And cheese. But part of the reason we know about the heart-protective qualities of red wine is from studying the French, who drink a lot of it.

Their hearts are healthy. And often enlarged (which often accompanies alcoholism, BTW.)

But their rates of cirrhosis are inflated, as well.

Incidentally, they smoke more than Americans do. Smoking raises metabolism and suppresses appetite.

Being thin isn't the same as being healthy.

[maiforpeace]

OK. Here's one thing I've observed that French parent do differently from most of their American counterparts.

Today we were invited to the grandparents house for lunch. My cousins have three children between them...a girl toddler, three years old, a boy four plus years, and another girl seven years old.

The table was set for nine adults...and that included the children. They didn't get special toddler forks and sippy cups. They were given regular glasses for water, a wine glass, all the same plates and silverware. They were expected to sit in a regular chair and eat properly...no booster chair, no more assistance other than perhaps a telephone book to reach the table.

I sat next to the four year old, and as many times he grabbed for the wine glass filled with water, it dangled precariously over a set of fine china glass plates - I watched with great trepidation for an accident, and his mother and grandparents just watched carefully and gave him verbal instructions about balancing a wine glass. There was great focus on the management of the food in regards to a fork and a knife, how to hold the glass properly etc. They were given pieces of legs, thigh and chicken with bones in them and again were observed carefully as they ate, and I have to say I marveled at how well they managed the bones with little correction. Nobody was hanging over their shoulders cutting their meat for them, serving them portions whether they wanted it or not. When they did ask for more, they were asked to really verbalize exactly what they wanted...not just more, but exactly a piece this size...mom portioned it off in the serving bowl, and then they were expected to serve themselves that portion. The communication was between everyone at the table, in a very matter of fact way about how delicious things were, how much time Grandma spent cutting the cucumbers so they were nice and thin, the perfect seasoning of the chicken, and how the littlest one loved bell peppers. No histrionics, no special meals for the kids or kids eating separately from the adults. It was such a nice experience.

One of the reasons the French don't have the same obesity issues is simply because they eat much smaller portions. A size medium plateful of tomatoes and mozzarella for the entire group, then Coq au Vin with roasted potatoes - the potatoes for the nine of us came in a bowl a little bigger than a soup bowl, and the one chicken cut up fed the entire group with a thigh piece to spare. Followed by a green salad course, again small, a few slivers of cheese, some fresh fruit all accompanied with lots of bread and a nice Medoc. That was lunch.