Archive for October, 2006

First years finally seen as crucial by governements – OECD

October 6th, 2006

More OECD countries focusing on early childhood as key to education success:

Finally, if the legislators can direct their glance not only towards higher education but towards those not-so-glamourous early years of education, that would be a great help to us parents who believe early experiences are the crucial stepping stones on which a child will build and develop – and who appreciate every help they can get to provide the best experience for their kids. And that state investment in those years is among the best investment they can make for the country.

Thanks to the OECD for pushing this thought too!

Raising children with "discipline ": a bad word?

October 5th, 2006

As a person inpired by both the North American and the French culture, I am struck by the somewhat negative connotation "Discipline" has in English- even more so in "Californian", the particularly " PC" English spoken on the West Coast.
In the French culture, it is not so negatively tainted, although this is changing. France is now seeing the results of the "No to Discipline, Yes to the Child"approach to education which is highly prevalent in California. Three-year olds are beating up on their parents over there too.. and on their babysitters, their "friends", their teachers…