Early book review... Bringing up Bebe

On Saturday at the airport, I was looking at some popular books on iTunes to see if anything struck my fancy. The title "bringing up Bebe" caught my eye, mostly because we call Jason's mom "Bebe" rather than a traditional grandmother name. And this name so suits her. :-).

So I downloaded a sample and put it in my library. It had to do with French parenting vs American parenting. It is an honest account by the author of her birthing and living and rearing her children in Paris. How different the French are (in most things) but particularly how they view their children. I quickly downloaded the entire book and I'm enjoying it thoroughly. There is nothing earth shattering or even cutting edge.... But it is so common sense. It is so do-able and realistic I am smacking my head for not doing having these practices already in place.

She talks about "the pause" which is not jumping at your infants every whim so as to teach them they can self soothe. Not cry it out but just not to jump at the first whimper. This teaches them VERY early that they don't always get what they want and that they can make themselves happy.

She talks about the old test (some call it the emotional intelligence test) with putting a marshmallow on the table and telling the young children not to touch it and when they come back if the marshmallow is still there, they get two. Something like one in four left it alone. That one in four distracted themselves by singing, reading, telling stories... Basically entertaining themselves so that they achieved the end result which was two marshmallows. These children were ultimately better students and more centered adults because they were taught that waiting for things is not a bad thing.

She talks about having a "cadre" ie frame work within your family. The child has a lot of freedom within the frame.... And that by having those boundaries they feel more secure. Again, nothing new or even groundbreaking but common sense. She talks about how the French reason and explain to infants why something is the way it is. That they understand instinctually what they don't understand verbally.

She talks about how the French don't push their children to achieve milestones early... But that they awaken their senses to new things and let them be children. They have their entire lives to be grown up. Only once to be a carefree child. Genius... And common sense.

I am only on chapter six.... But I am enjoying it immensely. If you have a moment and are looking for a good parenting book that is not a parenting book.... Check it out! You won't regret it.

Now, I think I want a croissant.