Bringing Up Bébé

One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting

By: Pamela Druckerman

Narrated by: Abby Craden

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

The secret behind France's astonishingly well-behaved children is here.

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.

©2012 Pamela Druckerman (P)2012 Random House

WhatbI needed!!!!

I’m thinking about becoming a parent in a few yours and thinking about that means.
This completely aligns with how I view children;
Children are tiny adults in training.

Relatable

As a new parent, I really enjoyed the accessibility and relatability of this book and the stories and research conveyed within.

Humbling Perspective

As an American living in Germany, I can appreciate this humbling perspective on parenting. I’m trying to implement these techniques and be less helicopter-like.

Do the pause

More narrative than informative but a interesting case study into parenting as an American in France.

Enjoyable and affirming

I loved this book. I was reminded of my own upbringing a great deal. I recall my mother being criticized for allowing her children too much autonomy, when we believed her to be strict. Now that I am a mother, I receive similar criticism while my children tell their paternal grandmother how I am strict compared to their friends parents. It's strange to see it come full circle, yet I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm thankful for my French roots.

more story than parenting book

it was good, but less parenting advice than I expected. good story to listen to

Extremely Interesting

Extremely interesting read for a comparison between French and American culture. Recommended for a critical reader.

Excellent book for new parents

Loved this book. Really spoke to who I want to be as a parent and validated that I my kids really don’t have to be like everyone else’s in the US.

Back by data but not overly formal.

As a new mom, I really appreciated this book

I absolutely loved this book! My Fience and I are newly pregnant and have just moved in together. I love listening to Bringing Up Bébé while I unpack my never ending line of boxes. I had a very similar experience to the author of seeing children behaving at a dinner table all while eating an assortment of foods I had never seen a child eat. This was 10 years ago but I always told myself that my children should be like that. Listening to Bringing Up Bébé was my first encounter where I received information on how to actually achieve this goal. I shared this with my Fience who is surprisingly enough enthusiastic about the book and listening to it too. I loved the entire book and found myself chuckling out loud at different parts. I highly recommend this book.

Anecdotal, but very informative

Would definitely recommend for any new parents. I see a lot of neurotic parents these days (cough, mostly mothers, cough) who tend to get lost in their own feelings or thoughts regarding their children and what they need to become healthy adults. My parents were honestly pretty simple, much like the advice in this book, and out of six kids I'd say half of us turned quite exceptional. Yes, parenting might be scary, but it's not rocket science.