Seen and Not Heard

In France, children should be seen and not heard. And they should be seen perfectly dressed, brushed and presented. My children apparently do not meet this standard. Although their hair is (usually) brushed, it is a rare occasion that they will allow hair accessories. And, as for dressing, I am afraid it is no better. Target casual does not fly in France. As a matter of fact, one of our neighbors brought us a catalog of children's clothing shortly after we moved here. The message I got, "your children do not look French enough." Another member of the French Mommy Brigade said last May, "it is finally warm enough for summer clothes." I said yes, but my girls were ready in February. "Yes," she replied, "I noticed." Yikes.


And, although dogs, also to be seen and not heard, are adored, allowed and welcomed everywhere, children are not. You will often see a dog at a restaurant, but rarely a child. And, it is even less likely that the restaurant will have any type of high chair. If you dare to bring a child to a restaurant, they had better behave. Recently, we went to our favorite "family" restaurant. One that actually has high chairs. We like it because one, it is a buffet, and two, kids eat free, a great deal for us. Unfortunately, on this particular day, the little blond duckling had the dropsies. Not 10 seconds into the buffet line she dropped her plate, 30 seconds later, she spilled ALL her food on the floor. Two minutes after that we were informed of a change in the kids eat free policy. It only applies if there is an equivalent adult. So, we would have to pay for two of the kids. Perfectly fair under the circumstances, but I think if a dog had dropped the food, all would have been forgiven.