Pamela Druckerman

i didn't really like this book, but i also really didn't hate it and the writing had a lot to do with that. honestly it felt like i was reading a college essay paper, not a professional writer's essays. i think it was too much like talking to friend versus reading a book and i didn't like that. even though i'm 28 i did enjoy how she started each chapter with a "you know you are in your 40s when..." lists. i think Pamela Druckerman is very relatable, but i found the sections dealing with her everyday life much more enjoyable than the sections where she investigates the phenomena of the “Mid life Crisis”. this was a nice read. not exceptional, not boring just nice.… (más)

I’ve been gravitating toward parenting books ever since my daughter was born, and this one caught my eye immediately. The author hooked me from the beginning. Like her, I also found myself dying to know why French children are so much better behaved than North American kids. And while I can’t say I came away with any earth-shattering revelations, I greatly enjoyed the reading experience. Many of the techniques French parents use seem to come down to common sense: don’t hover, teach patience, live your own life, don’t let your entire world revolve around your children, maintain your authority in a loving way, and parent with confidence. French moms don’t believe in the myth of the perfect mom - they know she doesn’t exist. But they use the tools they have at their disposal to parent to the best of their abilities. And for them, that’s enough. Their children respect them and love them, but they also embrace independence very early on. They’re allowed to explore and learn and make mistakes. I found myself nodding along with much of the book, and I really enjoyed the conversational style in which it was written. This was as much an ex-pat memoir as it was a parenting manual, and I walked away after turning the last page feeling like I’d just had coffee with the author. Highly recommended!… (más)