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Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting

Book by Pamela Druckerman · 3 quotes · Pleasure, French, Kids

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Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting Quotes

“French parents don’t just think these separations are good for parents. They also genuinely believe that they’re important for kids, who must understand that their parents have their own pleasures. “Thus the child understands that he is not the center of the world, and this is essential for his development,” the French parenting guide Votre Enfant explains.”

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“The French don’t valorize a pregnant woman’s anxiety. Instead, in the word cloud of French pregnancy, terms like serenity, balance, and Zen keep popping up. Mothers-to-be are supposed to signal their competence by showing how calm they are and by making it clear that they still experience pleasure. This small shift in emphasis makes a big difference.”

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“It’s not enough for French mothers to have pleasures and interests apart from their children. They also want their kids to know about these things. They believe it’s burdensome for a child to feel that she’s the sole source of her mother’s happiness and satisfaction. (A Parisian mother I know told me she was going back to work partly for her daughter’s sake.)”

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Book:Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting
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