French Way: How to Raise Happy and Well-Behaved Children?
A research was conducted on why French children seem to be happier and well-behaved compared to American children. The study yielded results, which American parents can perhaps learn from.
The contemporary French parents don't hit their kids or implement strict rules to discipline them. They don't push their children to become the person that they want to be. What they do is to indicate limitations with the tone of their voice and with their eyes. Yes, that's how simple it is! In other words they choose to educate their children instead of using the discipline method.
Other than these, there were a few French lessons discovered on how to raise a good child. These include teaching children to say thank you, please, hello, and goodbye. Learning this will let them realize that other people around them have feelings and needs too. The lessons also involved teaching kids to have only one snack a day. The usual snack time in France is between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
One of the most interesting lessons is on how they discipline kids using the eyes and voice. Giving them big eyes or a strict look means that they must stop misbehaving. A popular line to most French parents is "It's me who decides." This line indicates that the parents are their bosses. Saying no to kids are also encouraged. Saying yes all the time is just a way of spoiling them.
One of the most interesting facts why French kids are more behaved is that parents taught them how to wait. Parents don't pick their babies up the second they cry. They teach babies how to fall back to sleep by themselves. This is also the reason why French toddlers are less of a hassle when eating in a restaurant. They just sit happily while waiting for their mother to feed them.