Parisian Mothers rock! That’s all there is to it!
Bonne Fēte Maman
Bringing up children is the most amazing and most challenging experience any woman can have. It’s the hardest and most rewarding job in the world for sure. So what is it about Parisian Mama’s that has mums on the others side of the Atlantic green with parental envy?
Maybe it is because our Paris Mama lives in the world’s fashion capital; and the most romantic city on the planet, or maybe it’s because she just makes it look so effortless – even though we know it isn’t!
For some, being French could be the answer. Already there are a number of books extolling the virtues of French parenting such as: French Kids Eat Everything and Bringing up Bèbe, both of which have sold millions of copies! So we have combined some of what we have seen with what we have read; to give you a tiny snapshot of what the Parisian Mother appears to be like and why she should be celebrated today.
1. She is calm.
To be honest we don’t quite know how they manage it, but from what we have observed they are super chilled and pretty laid back. They seem to glide rather than stride, even with children in tow. If the stress of motherhood is present, she hides it well. Maybe it’s in the genes because they seem to possess a quality that prevents their feathers from getting ruffled! What will cause a Brit mums to ‘see red’, for example, would just be a shoulder shrug for a Parisienne! C’est impressive!
Paris Mums at Mini Weather Festival
2. She looks good.
Yes people, let’s not beat around the bush. When it comes to style and fashion the Parisian Mama looks hot. Her garments aren’t just thrown together, with the hope that her ensemble will hit the mark. No way! She has put thought into it! From her casual ‘pick the kids up from school’ look – slim cut jeans, teamed with a fitted tee & ballet pumps from Zadig & Voltaire, to showing off her slim legs with a knee length skirt and Chanel blouse! Ha! Yes! We are exaggerating! It’s not quite Rue de Catwalk (sic), but we can definitely confirm that our Parisian Mere (mother), takes pride in her appearance. Keeping fit and staying slim is culturally forced and she rarely strays from this expectation; her nails always look well manicured too, whatever her demeanour.
3. She can cook.
It’s in the DNA. This isn’t a chore for her; this is a labour of love. She adores cooking great food for the family. She eats wisely, thoughtfully and plans meticulously. What her children consume is of paramount importance to her and they have little choice in the matter!
4. She can shop
Obviously, we can all shop, but this Parisian Mama won’t be seen struggling home from the supermarket weighed down with carrier bags. No way Mama! The Parisian Mum has either ordered on line or she has invested in one of those posh shopping strollers – I mean, who knows who she might bump into between the pasta and the olive oil. The Parsian Maman considers all possibilities.
5. She is in control. `
The Parisian Mama is the Commander-in-Chief of her family army. She is the boss. When asked about liberal parenting, one Parisian mum retorted, “Sometimes it eez like ze parents live with ze children! C’est ridicule“(sic). When an American mother asked her Parisian equivalent, what she should do when her children constantly call and scream for her. The Parisienne quietly told her “
“If there eez no blood, zere eez no problem!”
This woman is NOT gonna let her children run things!
6. She ain’t no Maman Taxi
The Parisian Mama doesn’t spend her valued hours ferrying the children around the city like some kind of ‘uber mama’. Are you kidding! Instead she hires a baby sitter to take her three kids to their Saturday morning activities then goes to lunch with her husband! This Mama is focused on making life easy.
7. She thinks ahead
“Husbands can disappear”
This was the response one Parisian mum gave when posed with the question – “Do you think Mums should stay at home after having kids?” We will take that as a ‘no’ then!
8. She has them well trained
The Parisienne does not stop existing the day she has a child! In fact she is ready with her manual for her new offspring, who will be well schooled in learning how to behave at cocktail parties, luncheons and at fashion boutiques – according to the book How to be a Parisian!
9. She’s healthy
A glass of red wine easily counts as one of her essential five a day non?
Snapped in Paris by MLP
10. She conserves energy
You will never hear her screaming her childs name across the playground or engaging in unnecessary chit-chat with mums just because they attend the same school. French Children Don’t Throw Food author says…
“They never appear to rush out with a howling toddler strapped into a pram, they don’t radiate the combination of fatigue, worry…bursting out of most anglophone mums” Ain’t that the truth!”
Whatever her foibles! If all is as it appears, she most certainly rocks!
Don’t get us wrong! We aren’t saying that mothers from other countries don’t also possess these qualities, but today we celebrate the Parisian Mama and we say – go girl!
Bonne Fēte Maman!
And all you other Mama’s – we salute you!
Love MLP
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So funny. This week I was with my little one at the park when an overwhelmed and screaming French mom ran in a terrified manner to fetch her 2-year-old from climbing up a hill with her pedal-less toddler bike. She looked panicked and stressed and decomposed. I sympathized, of course, since I know how stressful little ones can be. Generally speaking, Parisians do give off a classy air about them, like you said: well dressed, well spoken, well cooked and fed. But there are always exceptions. I don’t know if culture can really dictate how stressed out these little rascal terrorizers can make their mothers, no matter where we’re from. LOL. Ya’ll are doing a fantastic job with this website. Keep it up!
Hi Sandra, thank you so much for commenting. So glad you saw the humour in the story. MLP appears to have ruffled a few feathers with this blog post but it was intended to be tongue in cheek :). Totally agree that it is not easy to keep stress at bay regardless of where our global mums reside! Thanks for your continued support and encouragement. We value it greatly. Stay tuned Mama and have a blissful sunshine week. Love MLP