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Lunch time: waste of time?
I came across a surprising article titled “Students are more likely to eat at school when given extra time, new study finds”. This study surprised me because what is presented as a scientific and scientifically measured finding is obvious to me. No doubt that I am guided by my French culture, but it seems obvious to me that to eat properly, and to benefit from it, everyone should preferably sit down and spend time. In France it is culturally accepted that adults should eat 3 times a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), preferably at fixed times (breakfast between 6am and 9am for a workday, lunch around noon and dinner…
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Bullet-proof backpacks for back-to- school?
Here in the US the summer holidays are about to end. Depending on Counties, back to school happens between early and late August, rarely after. In Virginia, in our county back-to-school is scheduled for mid-August. Ten days ago, we all received mails from schools, with the list of supplies and class assignments and there are back-to-school sales in different stores. Last weekend was also the Tax-Free week-end for us. Given the amount of sales tax here in Virginia (5.3% vs almost 20% in France) the money you save doesn’t touch the sky but you’d better save it anyway. In the midst of this buzz I came across some…
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Why European regulations are useful!
Since we’ve been living here in Virginia, we regularly get surprised by differences between what we were used to in France and how things go on in the United States. We realize more and more that our lives were standardized and regulated and that there are far fewer rules and laws here. Some may think that it is a good thing, that too much regulation restrains creativity, at the expense of the consumer. I even remember this recurring joke in France about the uselessness of the European Commission that would regulate the caliber of eggs instead of dealing with “real” problems. The question is what “too much” regulation means.…
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Kids’ extracurricular activities in France compared to the United States
Just like in the US there are many extracurricular activities for children in France. Since we have been here in Virginia my children have started or resumed almost the same activities as in France, in other words a musical activity and a sports activity for everyone. Yet there are many differences between extracurricular activities in France and the United States: Cost The first noticeable difference is the cost of activities. Unsurprisingly, extracurricular activities are much more expensive in the United States than in France. Prices are 2 to 10 times higher in the US than in France! This difference comes first of all from the fact that in…
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Being a Working Mom in France and the U.S.
Here is an article I wrote a couple of months ago for Working Mother about cultural differences for working mothers between France and the USA: France and the United States are supposed to be similar Western countries. But having worked full time in both countries as a mom of four, I have noticed a lot of differences. For sure, there are advantages and disadvantages on both sides. The main variation, though: France has better social benefits while the American organization of life is easier for working moms. Here’s what I mean. French Perks You Probably Didn’t Know About 1. Every working mom (even if she started her job only one month beforehand) is…
