about, Pamela Druckerman and her little book, Bringing Up Bebe.
She seems to be of the opinion children should be raised,Eiffel-Tower-Style.
Oh, those French. Must they be sublime in everything?
Gourmet food.
Couture.
Architecture.
Now, it's parenting.
But, I'm going to STOP.
Why?
Because, oui, I believe she has a valid argument. Honestly.
WAY back in the days of parenting my own child, I greatly admired the European style of parenting. And, I tried, mightily, to embrace and utilize what seemed to work for them. Plus, I tossed in many things my own, old-fashioned, parents brought down upon my head as a child.
Here are a few...
*Restricting toys to ONE area of household (this rule is flexible,somewhat, but the entire home should not be covered in toys).
*Encouraging baby/child to TRY a bite of everything on his/her plate.
*Keeping snacks to a minimum (Cheerios, here and there, but eating is for mealtime).
*Strongly encouraging the use of; Please, Thank You, Hello, Good-Bye (at the least).
*Less than constant stimulation (even a baby needs time to themselves without parental hovering).
*Giving the baby time to cry a bit before rushing in (this is difficult).
*Allowing children to explore things for themselves, a bit. Not structuring EVERY minute of EVERY day.
Basically, ADULTS are in charge...allowing children to be...children; with rules, consequences and rewards.
My RAVE?
To beautiful and well-behaved children and their parents, who take the time (genuine, quality time) and make an honest effort to help launch well-adjusted adults into the universe.
And, to Pammie and her little book!
Rant 'n Rave in the COMMENTS!!
What's more impressive these days than to be out in public and observe some well-behaved children, or children (or adults for that matter) with good manners? You want to reward them with a gold star.
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