French Experts Clash Over 355-Signature Warning on American-Style Parenting

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 29

A bitter French debate has intensified over whether American-style “positive” or “gentle” parenting has made children harder to manage and more disruptive in public.
Caroline Goldman, a prominent psychologist, argues a decade-long shift toward shared decision-making and prioritizing children’s emotions has produced more impulsive behavior and fueled demand for child-free spaces.
That argument gained institutional weight in 2022, when Goldman and 355 early-childhood experts signed an open letter saying overly empathetic parenting was harming children.
Five months later, 280 other specialists answered in Le Monde, calling Goldman’s approach repressive and damaging, underscoring how sharply France is rethinking its once-detached parenting model.