Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting
Pamela Druckerman
The secret behind France's astonishingly well-behaved children.
When
American journalist Pamela Druckerman has a baby in Paris, she doesn't
aspire to become a "French parent." French parenting isn't a known
thing, like French fashion or French cheese. Even French parents
themselves insist they aren't doing anything special.
Yet,
the French children Druckerman knows sleep through the night at two or
three months old while those of her American friends take a year or
more. French kids eat well-rounded meals that are more likely to include
braised leeks than chicken nuggets. And while her American friends
spend their visits resolving spats between their kids, her French
friends sip coffee while the kids play.
Motherhood itself is a whole different experience in France. There's no role model, as there is in America, for the harried new mom with no life of her own. French mothers assume that even good parents aren't at the constant service of their children and that there's no need to feel guilty about this. They have an easy, calm authority with their kids that Druckerman can only envy.
Of course, French parenting wouldn't be worth talking about if it produced robotic, joyless children. In fact, French kids are just as boisterous, curious, and creative as Americans. They're just far better behaved and more in command of themselves. While some American toddlers are getting Mandarin tutors and preliteracy training, French kids are- by design-toddling around and discovering the world at their own pace.
With a notebook stashed in her diaper bag, Druckerman-a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal-sets out to learn the secrets to raising a society of good little sleepers, gourmet eaters, and reasonably relaxed parents. She discovers that French parents are extremely strict about some things and strikingly permissive about others. And she realizes that to be a different kind of parent, you don't just need a different parenting philosophy. You need a very different view of what a child actually is.
While finding her own firm non, Druckerman discovers that children-including her own-are capable of feats she'd never imagined.
Motherhood itself is a whole different experience in France. There's no role model, as there is in America, for the harried new mom with no life of her own. French mothers assume that even good parents aren't at the constant service of their children and that there's no need to feel guilty about this. They have an easy, calm authority with their kids that Druckerman can only envy.
Of course, French parenting wouldn't be worth talking about if it produced robotic, joyless children. In fact, French kids are just as boisterous, curious, and creative as Americans. They're just far better behaved and more in command of themselves. While some American toddlers are getting Mandarin tutors and preliteracy training, French kids are- by design-toddling around and discovering the world at their own pace.
With a notebook stashed in her diaper bag, Druckerman-a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal-sets out to learn the secrets to raising a society of good little sleepers, gourmet eaters, and reasonably relaxed parents. She discovers that French parents are extremely strict about some things and strikingly permissive about others. And she realizes that to be a different kind of parent, you don't just need a different parenting philosophy. You need a very different view of what a child actually is.
While finding her own firm non, Druckerman discovers that children-including her own-are capable of feats she'd never imagined.
2. The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Melanie
Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species
that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies
intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body,
didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish
possession of her mind.
As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.
Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST
is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.
As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.
Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST
is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.
3
Heaven Is Here: An Incredible Story of Hope, Triumph, and Everyday Joy
by Stephanie Nielson
Stephanie
Nielson began sharing her life in 2005, drawing readers in with her
warmth and candor. She quickly attracted a loyal following that was
captivated by the upbeat mother happily raising her young children,
madly in love with her husband, Christian (Mr. Nielson to her readers),
and filled with gratitude for her blessed life.
However,
everything changed in an instant on a sunny day in August 2008, when
Stephanie and Christian were in a horrific plane crash. Christian was
burned over 40 percent of his body, and Stephanie was on the brink of
death, with burns over 80 percent of her body. She would remain in a
coma for four months.
In
the aftermath of this harrowing tragedy, Stephanie maintained a
stunning sense of humor, optimism, and resilience. She has since shared
this strength of spirit with others through her blog, in magazine
features, and on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Now, in this moving
memoir, Stephanie tells the full, extraordinary story of her unlikely
recovery and the incredible love behind it—from a riveting account of
the crash to all that followed in its wake. With vivid detail, Stephanie
recounts her emotional and physical journey, from her first painful
days after awakening from the coma to the first time she saw her face in
the mirror, the first kiss she shared with Christian after the
accident, and the first time she talked to her children after their long
separation. She also reflects back on life before the accident, to her
happy childhood as one of nine siblings, her close-knit community and
strong Mormon faith, and her fairy-tale love story, all of which became
her foundation of strength as she rebuilt her life.
What
emerges from the wreckage of a tragic accident is a unique perspective
on joy, beauty, and overcoming adversity that is as gripping as it is
inspirational. Heaven Is Here is a poignant reminder of how
faith and family, love and community can bolster us, sustain us, and
quite literally, in some cases, save us.
