Isaac is learning to say a few things in French. His nursery teachers speak French to each other, so he picks up a little bit. They also have manner words and commands that they use in French to speak to the children. I think most of the time they are still speaking in English to the children for now at least. Here’s a few illustrations of Isaac’s interaction with the French language:

  • We give Isaac something to eat and instead of saying “Thank you” he will say “Merci!” without us prompting him. He is learning this from nursery, I am sure.
  • Sometimes, instead of saying, “Merci!” he combines the French word for “thank you” (Merci” with the French word for “please” (S’il vous plait”) and makes his own word, which is, “Mercivous plait!”
  • I went to pick Isaac up from nursery last week and was the first mom in the room one day. Isaac jumped up and loudly said, “Moommmmyyy!!!” The teacher said, “Isaac, doucement!” Which means, “Quietly, gently, or slowly.” He quietened right down. Now, Josh and I have started using that word in our home to help him understand when he needs to calm down. So far, it’s been successful.

The French way of interacting with children is a bit different from how we do things in the States. Not wrong or bad. Just different. I am so impressed when I peek in at the children at lunch time and see a completely silent group of toddlers eating lunch and using manners. Isaac never comes home with food on his clothes. He and the other children are also always seated quietly at the table when they are waiting for their parents to pick them up at the end of the day. When the teacher says it is time to “tidy” – they do it. One time I heard Isaac crying in the afternoon and we asked why about 30 minutes later when we came to pick him up. She said, “I am very sorry. Isaac did not get a snack this afternoon because he did not tidy when I told him to.” He has tidied up every day since then.  I know they dance and play and have lots of fun during the day, because I peek in some, but Ms. Corrine, the teacher, knows how to keep order with a bunch of toddlers. We could learn a few lessons from her, I think!

A few of Isaac’s favorite things so far in France:

  • Riding the bus to town
  • Taking the train to Chambery (an hour away)
  • Taking bike rides with Daddy (he has his own seat mounted to Josh’s bike with his own blue helmet!)
  • Playing in the sandbox
  • Going to the bakery to get a cookie, donut, or fresh bread
  • Picking a flower every single time we go on a walk (There are LOTS of flowers here and as long as they are outside of a fence, towards the road/sidewalk, we are allowed to pick them.)