French word of the day: Grandir

Published 13 August 2026

So here we are in the “dog days of summer” here in Paris, and I can’t say I am not enjoying the calm and quiet. The calm before the rentrée.

Yes it is still hot, we are up to our 5th official canicule (heatwave) of the summer, but who’s counting? By now everyone has mastered the ice packs, close shutters, and hats routine.

But in fairness, it has been less hot recently (in the 90s°F instead of 100s°F), thank goodness. Especially since we spent the past couple of weeks on a road-trip around Germany. And the Germans, like the French, don’t do aircon either.

This trip was a major discovery for me because this was my first time attempting an extended road trip outside of France. Which sounds strange even to myself, considering how close everything is.

But I simply didn’t think about it before. Coming from Toronto, if you drive 5 hours north you will still be in Ontario. From Paris if you drive 5 hours north, you can be in any one of 3-4 different countries. Driving, who knew?!

Up to now my default has always been to take the train or fly since it seemed soooo far.

But you get so much more of a feel for the country by visiting little towns and villages. “La vrai campagne” quoi, as we call it here (the “real countryside”). Anyway, I’ll write more about Germany in a separate newsletter, because there’s too much to squish in here.

After all the traveling and family visits, we are all now at the “recharge battery” portion of the summer. A bit of work and a bit of play, all without a “fixed” schedule, because everyone is in holiday-mode anyway.

In addition, I have a kid going into middle school this September so I’ve given everyone (including myself) the assignment of room/furniture/stuff repositioning chez nous, to prepare for a more “grown-up” aesthetic.

Middle school in France is called collège, so I keep calling it that while speaking in English (eg. are there lockers in collège?). Which sounds all the more like a giant leap for my young’un, rather than just going in the grade above.

All of which led to a funny observation the other day about how I often hear in French, adults calling kids “mon grand” while in English we often say “my little one”. One says that the kid is big and encourages them to do stuff, while the other perhaps lets them stay a child longer.

And it isn’t my imagination because this difference occurs societally as well. School in France starts the year the child turns 3, much earlier than in the U.S. or Canada. French children born in December are barely 2 years 8 months old when they must start preschool in September.

On the other hand in North America, a parent can “red-shirt” their 5-year-old kindergartener if they think the child is not ready.

By the time French kids are 5 (Grande section in maternelle), not only are they seasoned veterans of the school system, they are also given more responsibility like helping younger ones and carrying their own lunch trays at the canteen, with proper glassware and plates. (Apparently tray-drops happen occasionally, but nobody bats an eye.)

Another example, we were at a friend’s dinner party and noticed that they demanded that their 3-year-old ask permission before leaving the dining table after dinner. (Personally, I thought the whole reason to have a dinner party as opposed to a restaurant, is to let young children flee to their toys as quickly as possible, leaving the adults in peace.)

For older kids, another funny vocabulary difference is what the French call les ados or adolescents. In English, we break it down into pre-teens (9-12) and teens (13-19). In French, les ados includes everyone together from 9-19, grouping 9 year-olds with much older kids.

Classes like dance or judo will include 9 year-olds with 15-year-olds, with older ones expected to set the example with the younger kids.

Seeing both ways, I can’t say which is better. But I suppose it adds to the preconception that French kids are quite better-behaved, that training starts much earlier.

Anyway, I’m off to enjoy my little ones, while they still tolerate me before the ado stage begins… à bientôt!

In other news:

• The city of Paris likes to plant trees (important during a heatwave), but also doesn’t want to water them for “conservation reasons”. Apparently this is not going so well, who would have thought.
• Harry Potter is coming to the Château de Versailles at the end of this month, with a special drone and fountain show. Sadly, tickets were free, and I was ready to make my selection, but like a Taylor Swift or BTS concert, the internet and I were not friends on that day.
• And the Pope is coming to France at the end of September, and there is going to be a large mass held on the Champs-Elysées. Over 200,000 people have already signed up and this also is sold out. (Maybe holidays in Italy are in order?)

And in the blog:

Julius Caesar and the Roman Conquest of Gaul (France)

Find out about the history of the Roman conquest of Gaul, from Julius Caesar to Constantine, interesting facts and more.

Provencal tomatoes with garlic and herbs (classic French starter)

From the South of France, these tangy tomates à la provençale (provencal tomatoes) are an easy-to-make French vegetarian starter that everyone will enjoy.

Salmon spinach quiche (easy recipe)

A classic with a twist, this salmon spinach quiche is easy to make in advance and serve any time of the day.