Crock Pot Crosspost: Parenting, It's Not French Rocket Surgery

Crosspost:

Today's crosspost is a Wall Street Journal essay titled Why French Parents Are Superior. I like the article, though I reject the premise that French parents have cornered the market on good parenting. Every example of good parenting that the essay references is really just an example of classic parenting, French or otherwise.

Mind you, classic parenting might be less common in the US today than it is in France, but it was very common in the US even twenty or so years ago. It's definitely how I was raised.

Growing up, life did not revolve around kids. We were expected to entertain ourselves; and, in group settings, the adults were the focus, not the children. We got plenty of attention, but in its time and place, not non-stop. It's also very clear, looking back, that my parents' withheld things (treats, toys, activities) to shape our expectations. At the time it seemed like they were arbitrarily refusing to give in on certain things, but now it's obvious to me that they were letting us kids know that we weren't in charge.

For more on the benefits of righteously withholding stuff from your kids, read my Persephone Magazine article, The Wet Banana, Shared Phone Line, and Wool Coat of My Youth.

 

Crock Pot Recipe:

To complement today's focus on classic parenting, or French parenting, whichever you conclude it is, I present to you, classic French onion crock pot soup from yummly.com.

Happy reading and bon app!