 |
| Bringing Up Bebe |
Bringing Up Bebe
By Pameal Druckerman
I’m currently listening to Bringing Up Bebe on my commutes into work. I’ve been curious about
the book ever since its release but decided I missed the boat, as my kids were
already born. But to satisfy my occasional Francophile itch (my copy of Amalie is MIA) I grabbed the audiobook
from the library and popped it in. And I’m happy I did.
My conclusion: Parisian mothers don’t have it all worked out
(glad to affirm that we’re all floundering) but they view some parenting
concepts in much different ways.
For instance, they embrace day care – mostly because it’s
government subsidized and the care givers are practically pediatricians. They often
say “the perfect mother doesn’t exist.” And they don’t believe in
over-scheduling children but allowing them freedom to discover on their own, or
“awaken.” Independent play is hugely important. Their kids sleep through the
night at 3 months (mine did too) and are good eaters – though I suspect the
latter is due to those excellent day care chefs. Their two parenthood icons are
18th century philosopher Rousseau and a 20th century psychologist
whose books have never been translated into English. Like a government secret.
It’s all very fascinating.
But Parisians have seemed to figure out how to stay true to
themselves and not fold into the “I am a mother now” trap that I’ve seen some
women do – forgetting all about their lives pre-child, as if they never had any
true interests until baby came along and they could expound on the merits of warm
wipes and PBS programming. And going
back to work is the norm in Paris (though, it IS the most expensive city in
Europe). The author gave an example that, at dinner parties, if a stranger knew
she had kids, they’d still ask “what do you do?” Where here, it’s always
assumed I stay home with the kids. Always.
And I’ve been a Mom in Paris. Sure, for four glorious days,
but I hit every playground we passed, had lunch in cafes and walked the streets
with the kids like other mothers and children -- so I have a tiny bit of
experience to pull from. The BEST was when the author mentioned the antique
carousel by the Eiffel Tower. We went there, too!
Lastly, I've always fantasied about raising kids in a different country, so hearing her experience has allowed me to live vicariously. There are plenty ups and downs of Americans raising little Parisians.
Lastly, I've always fantasied about raising kids in a different country, so hearing her experience has allowed me to live vicariously. There are plenty ups and downs of Americans raising little Parisians.
Overall, I’m glad I read/heard this book after a few years of
parenting experience because I might not have been able to identify with
everything being shared. The author is, after all, a seasoned journalist who
did research and countless interviews. So it’s more of an anthropological study
from which I can glean ideas or concepts with more care. Pre-kids, I might not
have fully understood what was wise and what was plain unrealistic.
I wonder if there’s a raising kids in Spain book, too?
Comments
Post a Comment