Who would have guessed that a sweet little boy with this face could ever give mom an attitude or throw a little fit?
Pure sweetness
Yes, I can’t believe it either. But alas, it’s true. He’s beginning to get his own mind and opinions about things. This is uncharted territory for us as parents, so we’ve been discussing a lot how we want to train Liam to do what’s right and to obey. That may sound strong for a 6 month old, but we’re already finding some situations that need addressing.
Nathan sent me an article that he read in the Wall Street Journal that really resonated with us, and, I think perfectly encapsulates how we’d like to approach discipline in our home. To think we can learn something from the French. Anyway, I thought you might also find it interesting.
(I should also mention that this post is not in any way an invitation to share your parenting advice/philosophy. I know, I’m cold)
I really liked the article. But I can’t help but wonder if French children are more patient because their parents are more patient. Maybe its not just a French thing, but a European thing. When I lived in Wales for a semester I noticed first that children seemed to go everywhere with their parents and seemed to be well behaved, and second, their parents were quiet, calm, polite and patient.
Super excellent article-I’m bookmarking it for when I’m a parent!
I’ve seen a few articles about this in the past week, one on the Today show and one on Good Morning America (or maybe it was the evening news…oh well!). It was so interesting to hear an American woman’s response to why it’s ‘ok’ for American kids to interrupt their parents because, ‘the kids need to learn to fight for what they believe in’ (or it was something along those lines). I think the French do have something right about parenting….they aren’t letting the child rule the home, the parents are the leaders. Very interesting and definitely something I agree with. Good job for training Liam as a strong man of God who won’t rule over your life!
This same lady also has a book, I read it and it is wonderful. She has an awesome section on how the French get their children to eat anything. I was impressed with their ability to get children to wait for things.