Review of the book Bringing Up Bébé/French Children Don’t Throw Food

American journalist and Mum Pamela Druckerman wrote a hilairous book about her experience of raising kids in France called "French children don't throw food". It belongs to this category of books we could call WISFAIF - what is so fascinating and irritating about the French. Yes, it is a book category of its own with lots of best-sellers such as A year in Provence by Peter Mayle or Almost French by Aussie writer Sarah Turnbulll.

I must admit I had a great time reading this book. Pamela put words on things I was doing without even knowing such as the "pause" and the "framework". And she describes at length the strategies to make kids eat ANY food, even blue cheese or zucchini.

There are a few data points and statistics in this book, but it is not a scientific research at all. It is a nice story wrote to entertain.

The perfect reading by the fireplace during the school holidays (for readers in the Northern hemesphere : by the pool during the summer holidays).

And you, did you like this book?

And do you have a favorite book on parenting?

Why Raising French Kids Down Under?

G'day Aussie parents ! and welcome to my new blog. In January 2009 we moved from France to Australia with our two kids then 2 and 4 years old. I naturally started to write about our new Antipodean life on the blog www.LaVieDownUnder.blogspot.com.au. But of course, the blog is all in French. Sacrebleu* !

As we settled down in Australia and built up our local friendships I noticed my Aussie friends were curious about my blog in French. Was there an English version? Instead of translating existing content in English, I thought it would be more meaningful and fun to start a new blog.

This blog is a perspective of a French parent trying to raise 2 kids in Sydney. All those words are carefully choosen. It is a perspective. It is not "The" truth. So what you will find here is a personal point of view, not a step-by-step how to guide kind of blog. And like everybody else, I try to raise kids, so I don't pretend to have all the answers or that one way of parenting is better than another. Just like you I am trying to do my best.

Happy reading ! Bonne lecture !

* sacrebleu is a very old word used to express anger or astonishment. Don't use it when travelling to France, it is completely out of fashion. Nobody is ever saying it.