Gotta Read Parenting Book: You Are Not Special

I am very suspicious of French people. Not all. Just the ones who are interviewed by the media and/or publish books.

I suspect these people are not telling the truth about some things. Things like:

-          how often stylish French women wash their hair

-         how stylish French families raise their children

Because I just don’t see how what they say can really be true.

Let’s take hair washing. It has been reported in several reputable magazines that many stylish French ladies choose to wash their hair once a week.

They go to a salon, get it washed and blown out and then allow it to swing free, the rest of the week, with nary a shampoo.

I gave this a try this week. I got my hair cut and blown out on Day 1. It is now Day 3 and my hair looks like I’ve been camping for a month.

Or the “miracles” of French parenting, which get reported on every few years. The latest one says French parents feed their French children the exact same stuff adults eat, which includes delicacies like vegetables and snails (which go by the fancy name of “escargot” but the food stuff remains the same: slimy bugs). And these same parents don’t pay their escargot-eating offspring too much attention.

They certainly don’t do the crazy roundelay of after school kid activities that characterize many American families. Then, it’s always reported that French children are better adjusted, with wider palettes, than many an American child.

I read these things, and it makes me feel guilty.

Like I’m busting my a$$ to have swishy hair and well developed children for no reason. Like this stuff would just happen in a vacuum, and I could have an extra 3 hours every day to eat bon-bons. French ones!

Unless.

Unless these stylish, well-adjusted French foodies are lying.

We need some truth tellers out there. (Even if they’re exhausted.)

Luckily, we have ‘em. I’m in the middle of the best book by a fella who’s not afraid to tell it like it is about parenting and how crazy American culture has gotten about it.

This teacher skyrocketed to fame a few years ago after the commencement speech he gave at his posh private school went viral. It was aimed at graduating high school seniors, and it was entitled “You Are Not Special”.

Wowzers. Tough title and the book (which goes by the same title and just expands on the ideas in the initial speech) is a bit of a tough-love read. But this guy offers a great perspective on what kids really need to grow up healthy and happy. (Note: nowhere in the book does it mention eating escargot).

The book’s not a total downer. Mr. You Are Not Special really likes kids. He wants to see them succeed. And he’s got some tips for us to help get them there. Sadly, the tips aren’t easy. But then again, they never are, for stuff that’s truly worthwhile. Unless you’re French apparently:)  (Click this link to go to amazon.com to order or read more about "You Are Not Special" by David McCullough.)