We’re so excited to bring you an exclusive Q&A with one of our all-time favorite pioneers in the world of baby-raising, Pamela Druckerman, the author of Bringing Up Bebe! And as a treat, she’s giving away 5 copies of the new paperback version of her book — that also INCLUDES her book Bebe, Day by Day”  — to our readers!

We consider these two books absolute must-haves for the practical parent’s library and we’re thrilled that they’re now both included in one copy. Gotta love a “two-fer!”  

We asked Pamela a few questions about the first year of raising your baby, as a “practically perfect parent.”

Q&A with the Author:

Pamela Druckerman, Author

“What would you say is the #1 most important part of French parenting to focus on during baby’s first year?”

Hands down, it’s sleep. That sets the tone for everything else. The French believe that having a baby who sleeps well is better for the child, and for the whole family. And so, very early on, they teach their babies to sleep through the night. They do this gently, without ever letting the baby cry for long periods.

*Read our Sleep-Training Must:  15-Minute Rule

“If you could offer PPB parents a ‘mantra’ to help get through the times when our babies are acting especially ‘American,’ what would it be?”

Talk to your baby. I don’t mean mindless, soothing chatter. I mean tell your baby stuff – what’s going on, where you’re going, why something unusual is happening. Many French parents believe that even small babies understand language, and that by explaining the world to them – even when there’s a difficult truth – you calm them down.

“How can an American mom help her child’s preschool be a little more crèche-like?” (A “crèche” is the french term for preschool)

As an American mom who thought that sooner is always better, I was shocked when my kids started preschool in France. There were no letters up on the wall, and little talk of reading. French preschoolers eventually learn the letters and sounds, but they don’t actually learn to read until age six, in the equivalent of first grade. (Teenagers in Finland have the highest average reading and math scores in Europe, and kids there don’t learn to read until age seven!) In fact, the latest American research validates the slower French (and Finnish) approach. It says that teaching preschoolers non-cognitive skills like concentration, getting along with others and self-control actually creates a stronger basis for later academic success. So I supposed the lesson is: Don’t look for the preschool that promises to make your four-year-old a math whiz. Look for the one that’s going to teach him patience and empathy, and leave him time just to play.

How to Enter this Book Giveaway:

1. Re-pin this pin from our Living Pinterest board onto one of your Pinterest boards.
2. Re-pin another pin from any of our six other Pinterest boards onto one of your Pinterest boards.

That’s it! No purchase necessary but must have an account on Pinterest to enter. Contest ends on December 1, 2014 at midnight PST and unfortunately is only open to residents of the United States. Five winners will be contacted via Pinterest asking to send us an email to info@practicallyperfectbaby.com for shipping address for Penguin Press.