Women seeking scholarships for mothers can keep parenting well
March 6, 2013
Women seeking financial aid for mothers likely have some unconventional ways of raising their kids while trying to work and earn a degree. Now, two parenting experts reveal that the key to being a great mom may be to veer away from traditional American approaches.
Parenting has changed with the times
Fox News highlights the teachings of author Pamela Druckerman, which she brought to America after living in Paris, France, for years with her husband and three children. The writer of Bringing Up Bebe told the source the main difference between American parents and those in Paris is that Parisian moms and dads make sure to keep a hold on their independent lives while raising kids, while Americans often lose themselves in a constant effort to provide.
"They don't want to fall into that cycle of perpetual negation that we often find ourselves in America," she said. "But, at the same time, they give kids a lot of freedom."
Based on the complimentary findings of Bruce Feiler, author of The Secrets of Happy Families, strategies similar to those of French parents are adopted not just by foreigners but also by Americans with atypical lifestyles, like those in the military. He noted in The Daily Beast that although it has taken time, parents have moved on from leaning on how-to books and worked directly with their families just as they might with coworkers or on their own independent ventures, working around problems and coming up with solutions through ingenuity.
Flexible Americans are excellent parents
Both Druckerman and Feiler believe moms and dads should be able to mold activities around whatever their collective lives call for, which is great news for those exploring degree options for mothers. Feiler calls to mind a chef he interviewed for his book who started a tradition of family breakfast when he was unable to be with his family at dinner time in the Daily Beast. Druckerman, according to Fox News, said similarly that a parent should never sacrifice professional lives (if that is part of their independence they enjoy) for the assumed benefit of their children.
Feiler's discoveries show that not all is wrong with American parenting, and often generalized habits of this demographic are good for self-esteem and overall remembrance of life experience. He claimed that a study conducted by Asian-Americans found American mothers incited memory retention from childhood better than those raised by Asian moms, who the study deemed greater enforcers of discipline.
