“It’s a secret, no one can find out before the party! “, a friend told me when I asked her if she was pregnant with a boy or a girl. In Canada, at five months of pregnancy, a “Gender reveal party” is organized. We make a huge cake covered with white icing and we reveal the sex of the baby by cutting it: if the inside is pink, it’s a girl, if it’s blue, it’s a boy.
We also organize incredible baby-showers, before or after the birth of the baby. Moms do it more and more often later, a few weeks after giving birth. It’s more convenient – we receive all the guests, friends and family, in one day. Personally, I didn’t do the “gender reveal party” or the “baby shower”, but I insisted on a celebration that I loved when I was little, the “smashcake”. All children want to participate in a “smash cake”! We order a very nice cake, with icing and lots of cream. We call a photographer, we invite the family, and we let the baby “destroy” the cake with his hands. It’s very funny! It’s a real celebration, maybe a little ridiculous but, in the end, it’s to please our children, so why not?
Le maternity leave for teachers, like me, is one year, fully paid for by Social Security. Some mothers receive 55% of their salary (or 30% if they want to extend it up to 18 months). With us, it is completely accepted to stay at home for a year with your baby. Anyway, in Canada, anything seems possible. I think it’s uniquely Canadian to accept everyone’s ideas, to be tolerant. We are really open and we are not judgmental. I was lucky to spend my maternity leave in Canada. Life there is much more relaxed.
In Canada, we don’t mind the cold, even when it’s -30 ° C. Most of the time is spent indoors anyway, leaving the house only to pick up the car and drive it to supermarket parking lots, or heated garages. Children never sleep outside, as in the Nordic countries; once outside, they are dressed very warmly: snow boots, ski pants, woolen underwear, etc. But most of your time is spent at home – everyone has large TVs, super-comfy sofas and super soft rugs. The apartments, more spacious than in France, allow the little ones to run more easily than in a two-room apartment where you suffocate quickly.
នេះ doctors tell us, “Breast is best”. But if you don’t want to breastfeed, everyone is understanding. “Do what’s best for you,” my friends and family told me. Fortunately, in France, I didn’t feel too much pressure either. It is also a real relief for inexperienced mothers who are not sure of themselves in this area.
ខ្ញុំមាន ចំណាំ that French parents are more strict with their children. In Canada, we are more attentive to them. We talk to them with a lot of patience, and we ask them questions: why did you push this little girl in the park? Why are you angry I don’t think it’s better, it’s just a different, more psychological strategy. We give fewer punishments, and instead we give rewards: we call it “positive reinforcement”.