lovelybookshelf
Written on Feb 8, 2013
There was so much great information in this book! I discovered that many of my own views on parenting - whether I've put them into practice yet or not - line up with those of the French. This is not a barrage against American parenting. Crawford admits her bias toward the French, but she does not paint a glorified picture of the French style of parenting, either. Rather, she searched for (and I think, found) a balance, an ideal middle ground between two cultures she greatly appreciates.
The pregnancy section was my least favorite part of the book. My husband and I brought our preemie home from the NICU a month before her due date, still weighing less than 4 lbs., so some of the things scoffed at in this chapter ended up being important for us to use/worry about. Plus, I can't stand the word preggers. I realize these two points are simply my own hang-ups.
French Twist offers a lot of practical ideas, some of which I've already tried with my 3 1/2 year old with a good bit of success! Crawford talks about the things she tried, what worked, what didn't, and why. She learned ways to teach her kids to be happy playing independently, to learn how to contribute to a conversation rather than hijack it, and to appreciate beautiful things, among so many other things.
This book made me feel good about so many things I feel I'm doing well as a mom! It gave me food for thought on how to make some changes I've been wanting to make, and it gave me some completely new ideas I hadn't considered before. The insights into the French way of life were fascinating, especially the differences in their educational system (and school lunches!) compared to ours. I most loved reading about the positive changes in Crawford's family, particularly the fact that her girls are now able to leisurely enjoy a long meal with their parents, laughing and talking without the need for distractions or other entertainment.
If you enjoyed books such as Bringing Up Bébé and How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm, you won't want to miss Catherine Crawford's French Twist. Ballantine Books is releasing this title in a couple of weeks, March 12, 2013.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. I did not receive any other compensation for this review.