Maybe It's the French Canadian In Me But I LOVE this ARTICLE!!!

http://www.npr.org/2012/02/01/146199341/sil-vous-plait-raising-your-bebe...

Here's an excerpt:

But as an American in Paris, Druckerman noticed a series of what she calls "minor miracle[s]." Parents who enjoy long adult conversations while their children play quietly nearby. Birthday parties where 5-year-olds sit patiently at tables waiting for their slices of cake. And perhaps most surprising of all, babies, lots of them, who sleep through the night at just 2 or 3 months old.

First among them is the French belief that even babies are rational creatures with the capacity to learn self-control.

Second is their conviction that it's better for everyone — parents and kids — if children adapt to adult routines. As one French psychologist explains, "The child must learn, from a very young age, that he's not alone in the world, and that there's a time for everything."

I SO believe this. This is the way I was raised!

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There is a great book on the

There is a great book on the same topic written by an American living in Paris called "Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety" by Judith Warner.

It supports the idea that children and being a mother has a place in one's life, but no more important than being a fully autonomous working adult with a marriage not overtaken by child-centered demands.

I found the book very helpful when I had my first child several years ago and felt oppressed by the child adoration culture. I have lived in Europe and feel they have a more balanced view of raising children, and that it is healthier for kids and moms.