How French parents educate their children on food
American journalist and parent Pamela Druckerman was puzzled by the good behavior of French children when she moved to Paris, and decided to do some research, which culminated in her book, Bringing up Bebe. Among other discoveries Pamela made, she noticed that the French attitude toward feeding children was especially effective:
"We [Americans] assume ... a little more that kids have inherent likes and dislikes, whereas the French view on food is the parent must educate their child and that appreciation for different food is something you cultivate over time," Druckerman says.
One key to this cultivation of tastes appears to be exposure. Druckerman points out that in France, "there is no category of food called kids' food. Kids and adults, from the start, eat the same thing."
As an example of how children are exposed to a variety of foods at an early age, Druckerman recounts her visit to a lunch at a public daycare with her daughter and other two-year-olds.
"There's a four-course menu every day. It starts with a vegetable dish and then there's a main course. There's a different cheese every day. So, I discovered to my shock that my daughter eats blue cheese."
