When I found out I was expecting I searched for a parenting book that wasn’t based on fear. Then I saw this insider’s guide to French parenting and ordered the book on the spot. An easy and entertaining read, Bringing up Bebe is the perfect parenting book for laissez faire parenting with tricks to get the little one to sleep through the night.
Bringing up Bebe (original title is French Children Don’t Throw Food) is written by a journalist from New York who marries an Englishman and moves to Paris. She talks about what it is like with a young child living in Paris – the parents are uninterested in chatting at the playground and there is free child care that you register for when you find out you are expecting. Then she becomes pregnant again, with twins, and she discusses all the inside tips that French parents share when expecting.
Parenting tips from Bringing up Bebe
The author does an excellent job of describing parenting tips without an opinion. Unlike majority of American parenting books that scare you and tell you everything not to do, Bringing up Bebe tells it like it is. I found that a breath of fresh air!
Bringing up Bebe talks about teaching children how to wait, how to get on a schedule, and how to sit for long meals. The author describes a parenting doctrine that is very popular in France created by Francis Dolto. It is impossible to get Dolto’s books in English. You have to read French or another language the book has been translated into to read it. So it is very helpful that Bringing up Bebe discusses the highlights!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is expecting, has children, or wants to have children. It is a fun read with lots a hidden gems.
Best paired with: Heinekin 0.0 🙂
Cheers,
W&L
Wine & Letters 