joining in with Ginny's yarn along
Knitting is going very slowly but I have been enjoying knitting a doll's top, making it up as I go along.
I found two really good books in the library. The first is World Vegetarian Classics by Celia Brooks Brown. It has vege recipes from eleven different areas of the world. The ones I've made so far have all used easily sourced ingredients and been simple to cook. We've had pastel de choclo, maple-roasted mushroom burgers, spatzle and masala dosa and there are loads more I want to try
The other book is French children don't throw food by Pamela Druckerman. I heard a discussion about this on the radio and thought it would be some lightweight reading about why French kids are better (or not) than British ones, but it's actually a really thought provoking and interesting read. The author is from the US (New York I think) but is living and bringing up 3 small kids in Paris. She observes the differences in behaviour of French (well at least middle class Parisian) children compared with those in New York and sets out to investigate what aspects of parenting bring these about. It really made me think about how some of our parenting rules are so ingrained that we don't even realise we have them. And also that maybe what really matters (at least up to a point) is not whether we have lots of or few household rules but whether we educate our children gently and respectfully about what they are
I read a review of the book in the newspaper. It sounded interesting. Found myself nodding to some bits and not at other parts. Maybe I should read it in full.
ReplyDeleteI have this book on reserve at the library. Having come from Eastern Europe 20 years ago, I remember in the beginning I was shocked as a babysitter as to what kids can get away with. Since than the lines have blurred and I am curious to read this book. I wonder how I will feel about parenting in the US now compared to Europe.
ReplyDelete