I call them “French” parenting books because although they’re both written in English, by an American and Canadian woman who married Frenchmen and raised their kids in France, they give unique insight into raising children from a French perspective.
The first one I read was Bringing Up Bébé, which covers a variety of subjects like sleeping, eating, discipline etc. The new edition even includes a section called “Bébé Day by Day” which is 100 tips or an abbreviated version of the book (perfect for the busy mom).
The first section on sleeping was quite timely as my 6-month old still doesn’t sleep through the night. The author introduces “the Pause,” where instead of immediately picking up a crying child you wait and observe to see what is needed. Babies naturally wake every 2 hours or so between sleep cycles and might cry out. They need to learn to connect the sleep cycles so if get them each time they cry you might accidentally train your baby to need your intervention every two hours. I see us stuck in that pattern somewhere but we’re still having a hard time breaking that cycle.
The French parenting philosophy is like a “cadre,” translated as picture frame, where they are strict about a few important things but then flexible on most everything else. This includes moderation with food and sweets. And when it comes to eating, the idea of introducing a variety of foods, especially vegetables, isn’t just one idea among many, it is the guiding culinary principle for kids (if you want more details on French eating specifically see the 2nd recommended book here). The French also teach their kids to wait so that the delayed gratification can help them be more calm and resilient.
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