Is French parenting really that different from American? Some people are just brats with no manners.

Why American Kids Are Brats

And their parents might be getting just what they deserve

Amidst all the talk this past week about Pamela Druckerman’s new book, Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting, there was one phrase that immediately lodged itself in my mind. It was in a sidebar that ran with the Wall Street Journal adaptation of her book, “Why French Parents Are Superior,” and it said this: “Children should say hello, goodbye, thank you and please. It helps them to learn that they aren’t the only ones with feelings and needs.”...

Read more: "Why American Kids Are Brats"  by
By Judith Warner | @judithwarner | February 10, 2012

via childfree@livejournal

I thought by the time they enter kindergarten all the little ones know how to behave politely. And if they do not,  the school will teach them in the first 100 days of school and they'll in turn tech their inapt parents.  Am I missing something in modern development, parenting and school education?
I understand why babies cry on the planes but I don't understand why a healthy seven-year old may misbehave in public place. 
 

Enjoyed this comment since it gives a different perspective:

I'm a Swede living in the French countryside and in my experience the French are not exceptional in their childrearing. Or their diets. Or their clothes. And no matter how often the French tell me it is so, they are not even that exceptional in their beaurocracy. Don't get me wrong, the French are wonderful in countless ways, but in the mostly American western narrative France is the magical negro, only white and not "inferior".

But... to some extent, even clearly spoiled children can appear a little bit more well-behaved here simply because of differences in culture. For example, even if a child spends the whole dinner party playing with a portable gaming device at the table and interrupts his father while speaking, that child (in my limited experience) will dutifully kiss me hello and goodbye, usually without prompting. In Sweden, where little value is placed on greeting anyone, that child would probably be staring at his feet during the whole greeting ceremony and not offer a hand to shake, or at the very best surrender a limp hand with a very pained expression. A younger child might scream "NO!" and run the other way when told to greet grandma, even less kiss a stranger. Being actually greeted by a child would be a sign of great parenting in Sweden, and one with limited experience (such as myself) may begin to surmise that the French are better parents.

Actually, the above article referrers  to more elaborate article from LA Times  dedicated to a new book on parenting.

A little more than a year has passed since the publication of Amy Chua's "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" — the paroxysm-inducing guide to raising better children through belittlement, intimidation and tyrannical music practice — and already we have version 2.0. Pamela Druckerman's "Bringing Up Bébé" alleges that it's the French who could teach indulgent, over-scheduling, helicoptering American parents a thing or two about rearing les enfants... 

Read more: "Tiger Moms vs. 'Bébé' moms"  (Meghan Daum, February 9, 2012).

I don't believe it's about national culture. Some kids are just brats with lack of empathy and manners. And some parents are brats with lack of empathy and manners. World is unfair and often they are not connected, parents are not getting what they deserve. I suppose such kids and adults were always around but now with the help of globalization and social diversification at all levels and in all places it becomes more visible. I suspect this book won't get such massive response as Amy Chua's book. Everyone wants to either make a statement: "I am not treating my (present, past, future) kids as Amy Chua" or agree that her approach makes sense. 

What is the way to react to suggestion to teach kids good manners and consideration to the needs of others from early age? You either succeed or you totally or partially fail.  In such case very few will argue that it's better this way. That it was not a failure but intention to bring up free self-confident people. The majority will just keep quiet and go back to their electronic devices and social networks as usual.