C'est Bon?
An expat fact-checks France's rep as a parenting paradise.
by Rachelle Atkins
April 14, 2008
During both of my pregnancies here, I was cautious but not fanatical about what I ate and drank. With my doctor's approval, I had the odd glass of wine and an occasional espresso, and sometimes the cheese course was just too enticing to pass up. I, like most French mothers I know, adopted a philosophy of moderation, seeing it as key for both mother's and baby's health and sanity.
In France, there isn't the same puritanical disapproval that sometimes exists in the States, where over-zealous do-gooders cast disparaging glances and shout abuse at any pregnant mother they believe is acting in an un-motherly way. You might hear the odd tut now and then, but for the most part, pregnant women in France aren't shrouded with a fear/shame/guilt complex.
2. Free Daycare
This myth sounds great, but isn't exactly true. Government-subsidized childcare and healthcare is available for all, yes, but it's not completely free.
I always laugh when I hear new arrivals to the area talk about "interviewing" nurseries.
Last year I paid around 80 Euros (approx $130) a month for my youngest to go to nursery school one full day and two afternoons a week. I know from talking to friends back home that this is considerably less than they pay. But there's a downside: In my rural part of the country, day cares are few and far between. I always laugh when I hear new arrivals to the area talk about "interviewing" nurseries. In reality, you put your name down on the only waiting list and hope like hell your number gets called.
If you don't have grandparents handy, the other childcare option is to employ a government-subsidized nanny. I struggled to find a nanny who found it financially attractive enough to take my girls part-time, but those that might have been interested had been booked long before I contacted them. I've now learned the secret. Most French mothers, just after their post-coital cigarette, sign their newly conceived offspring up for a place in the nearest nursery. Not because it's a nursery of any particular renown, but because it's the only nursery in a 50 km radius.
©2008 Rachelle Atkins and Nerve Media
About the Author
|
|
Related Articles
|
 |
Rachelle Atkins is a freelance writer living in the south of France with her husband, 2 daughters and 2 Jack Russells. Her work has appeared in Living France and France Magazine, and her blog can be found here. |
|
|
-
by April Peveteaux
On stage and on the spectrum.
-
by Amy Lutz
Your son's autistic just like mine.
-
by Liza Featherstone
Why so many parents won't vaccinate — and what it means for our kids.
|
