French parenting, from inside a French-American house
One snack, one menu, one bedtime. And three boys in Massachusetts testing all of it.
French parenting is less a philosophy than a schedule. Meals happen at set times, children eat what the adults eat, and independence starts earlier than Americans expect. These articles go through it piece by piece: the four o’clock snack, school lunch, bedtime, walking to school, the teenage years.
We run the French system with American exceptions. The articles say which is which.
Why do French kids get two weeks off in October?
Seven weeks on, two weeks off. American children get a long weekend and then Thanksgiving.
Did American gentle parenting change French parents?
For a decade Americans read French parenting books. France was reading ours.
La rentrée vs American back-to-school
One country eases in over three weeks. The other restarts on a Monday.
Why do French kids walk to school alone?
He was sent for bread at seven. I was not allowed to check the mailbox.
The French grading system, explained
He got a 12 and his mother was pleased. This required explaining twice.
French Teenagers vs American Teenagers
He came of age in Paris cafés without a car. She came of age in a Honda. The archive says they would have dated anyway.
The Correct Foods: Official Rankings, by Owen, Age 4
Mussels first (the shells), Babybel second (you unwrap it yourself), and soup, which is a door to bread.
A Statement from Harry, Age 2 (Translated)
Fromage. NON. Encore. Delivered from under the table, translated by his mother, ratified by yogurt.
The French Kids' Bedtime: Why 8 PM Actually Works
Dinner at 8, bed by 8:45, no negotiation. We investigated the wall.
What French Kids Eat for School Lunch (Real Menus)
Four courses, thirty minutes, a published menu - la cantine explained, and the day he read 'Bosco sticks.'
Raising Bilingual Kids in French and English
OPOL, honestly: what worked, what flopped, and the four-year-old who corrects my accent.
Why French kids eat what adults eat
No nugget menu, no negotiation, one magic phrase. How French kids learn to eat everything — and what happens at a clam shack.
The French goûter, from an American grocery store
The 4 PM formula rebuilt from a US supermarket — approved swaps, failed inspections, and why the schedule is the culture.
What Is a Goûter? The French After-School Snack, Explained by a French Dad
France schedules its snacking. America grazes. Inside the 4 p.m. institution my husband refuses to abandon — and what our kids eat instead of Goldfish.
While you are here
Do You Parent French or American?
Snacks on demand or four o’clock sharp? The car line or walking alone? Eight this-or-that questions.
Not on the list?
Ask my French husband.
A short ruling in a few seconds. Written by AI from our Journal, in his voice.
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