French Twist ─ An American Mom's Experiment in Parisian Parenting

Adventures in Franco-inspired American parenting-a winning mix of witty cross-cultural observation, hilariously blunt French wisdom, and one American mom's journey to create her own hybrid parenting approach.

Who among us hasn't wished her kids wouldn't talk back or whine or hoped for kids who are enthusiastic about more than "white" foods for dinner? Who among us hasn't longingly read about the miracles of French parenting and thought "if only it didn't require a move to France!" Catherine Crawford is certainly among us. Determined to "Frenchify" her two young daughters right here at home (and without obliterating their appealingly big personalities), Crawford set out to discover the essentials of the famed French approach. After journeying to the source-La Belle France-to see these "exotic" parenting practices first hand, she brought back wisdom and tricks that wouldn't require a move across the Atlantic. From her efforts at Being the Chief (the key to French discipline) to the Chef (it's all about expectations!) and every delicious moment in between, French Twist is a compulsively-readable narrative of the year in which she experimented on her unwitting family; it offers readers a "Battle Hymn" of witty instruction and pithy observation of the Franco-inspired variety.

Catherine Crawford is a contributor to Droolicious on Babble.com, and the parenting website What They Play, where she conceived of and has written the Mothership column. She has appeared on CBS and Fox to discuss issues related to balancing work and motherhood. She lives with her husband, writer Mac Montandon, and their two children in Brooklyn.