The French Parenting Method for Simpler Days: Less Routine, More Framework

Created in partnership with La Petite Crème and Bébé Foodie, this guide reflects a shared approach to early care - one rooted in calm, repetition, and respect for how babies grow. From feeding to everyday routines, both brands focus on simplicity that supports families over time.

 

Routines are having a moment in the US.

And they are everywhere. Online schedules, sleep charts, colour-coded days, parents trying to fine-tune every part of daily life. For many families, routines can be genuinely helpful. For others, they just become another thing to keep up with, another place to wonder if you’re doing enough or doing it “right.”

The French parenting method is organized, not relaxed

From the outside, French parenting often gets described as relaxed. But that’s never quite rung true for us. French parents aren’t hands-off, they’re organized. They just organize things differently.

The word that comes closest to explaining it is cadre.

It means framework, structure, the edges that hold something in place (it’s the word we use in France for ‘picture frame’). Not a schedule you follow to the minute, and not something you constantly tweak. More like the shape of the day, familiar enough that you don’t have to think about it much (and we’ll take anything to reduce the mental load!)

Growing up, we didn’t talk about cadre. It was just how life worked.

Meals happened at certain times. Mornings felt like mornings. Evenings slowed down. Things repeated, but not rigidly. There was a sense that daily life didn’t need to be reinvented every few weeks.

That’s where French parenting differs most from what we see in the US. Not in how much parents care, but in how much they manage (and how it can make things simpler for the whole family).

Cadre vs routine: what’s the difference?

Routines tend to be very specific. They tell you exactly what should happen and when. When everything goes to plan, routines can feel reassuring and grounding.

The problem is that life with young children rarely goes to plan.

Travel, illness, holidays, developmental leaps - all of it disrupts even the most carefully designed routine. And when a routine breaks, parents often feel like something needs fixing or resetting.

With cadre, you’re not attached to exact times. You’re attached to order, repetition, and sequence. Things happen in roughly the same way, even if the timing shifts.

You don’t reset the day. You step back into it.

That difference alone removes a surprising amount of pressure.

Let’s look at a few examples of exactly what ‘cadre’ looks like in family life…

What simplification looks like at diaper changes

You see the French approach shine when it comes to diapering

In the US, diaper care is often reactive. A rash appears, and suddenly parents are troubleshooting: new wipes, new creams, new combinations. There’s an understandable sense that the right product will fix the problem once it’s visible.

 

In France, diapering is usually preventive.

One single product used consistently, day after day. No constant switching. No chasing irritation (because we’ve avoided it in the first place!)

That philosophy is exactly why we brought classic French liniment cream to the US.

French mothers have used liniment for generations not because it’s trendy, but because it simplifies diaper care. It cleanses gently without stripping the skin and leaves a light protective layer behind. You don’t need wipes for every change. You don’t need a long lineup of products.

You cleanse. You protect. You repair.

(And all you need is one single product).

Diaper changes become calm and predictable, not something that escalates once there’s a problem.

Using the French parenting method to simplify mornings

Mornings are another place where cadre quietly does its work.

In many American households, mornings can feel rushed and fragmented. Parents juggle wake windows, outfits, breakfast options, packing bags, and trying to get out the door on time.

A framework doesn’t eliminate busy mornings, but it does reduce decision-making.

In French families, mornings tend to follow a familiar order.

1. Wake up.
2. Get dressed.
3. Eat breakfast.
4. Leave the house.

Not perfectly. Not always calmly. But always following the same sequence. That way parents and kids both know what’s coming next and, in time (and as they get older), things just happen without having to ask them to brush their teeth 100 times (imagine that!!).

Children don’t need to choose between ten breakfast options. Parents don’t rethink the entire morning every day. The framework is already there.

When mornings have a predictable shape, there’s less negotiating and less mental effort.

 

Bedtime without micromanagement

This is a big one.

Bedtime is where routines often feel most intense, stressful, and fragile.

In France, bedtime is structured, but not over-engineered. There’s a general sense of when evenings slow down. Baths, dinner, quiet play, bed. The order matters more than the actual time.

If bedtime shifts because of a late dinner or a family outing, it’s not treated as a disaster. The framework is still there the next day.

This approach removes a lot of pressure from evenings. Parents aren’t constantly watching the clock or worrying about getting everything “right.” Children learn to recognize the cues of evening rather than relying on strict schedules.

Again, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s familiarity.

How weekends stay simple in French families

Weekends are another area where French parenting looks very different from the US.

Rather than filling weekends with child-centred activities, French families tend to treat them as an extension of adult life. Errands still happen. Meals still need to be cooked. Friends are visited. Children come along.

This doesn’t mean children are ignored. It just means there’s an assumption that children don’t need constant entertainment - just inclusion within a predictable framework. Play happens naturally around adult rhythms.

Weekends feel slower, not because there’s nothing happening, but because there’s less pressure to “make the most of” every hour.

Adult-led structure, child-friendly freedom

• One of the most misunderstood aspects of French parenting is the idea of adult-led structure. Because it’s not about control or rigidity, it’s about clarity.

Parents decide the framework - meal times, bedtimes, daily flow. And within that framework, children of course have freedom to explore, play, and be children.

Because the edges are clear, children don’t need to test them constantly. The structure holds. This is why French parents often appear confident rather than anxious. They’ve built a family system that supports them.

Why this approach feels lighter for parents

When parenting is built around frameworks rather than routines, a few things happen naturally:

• Fewer decisions throughout the day
• Less second-guessing
• Less researching and tweaking
• More confidence in repetition

You stop asking yourself what should happen next, because the answer is usually the same as yesterday.

That steadiness is what often gets mistaken for being “relaxed.”

How this philosophy shaped La Petite Crème

When we created La Petite Crème, we weren’t trying to introduce something revolutionary. We were bringing a familiar way of caring - fewer products, clear purpose, something that could be used consistently - into a very different parenting culture.

Classic French liniment and a simple protective balm fit naturally into a framework-based approach to care.

They support a rhythm: cleanse gently, protect early, repeat.

That philosophy runs through everything we do. Fewer products. Clear roles. No overcomplication. No late night dashes to buy everything you can find in the diaper rash section because you already have everything you need.

Not because minimalism is fashionable, but because it makes daily life easier to live inside.

Petite pensées

Routines can be useful. For many families, they’re essential. But they’re not the only way to create stability.

Frameworks offer something quieter. They hold daily life together without demanding constant attention. They allow for disruption without collapse.

For parents who feel worn down by the pressure to optimise every moment, cadre offers an alternative way of thinking about family life (less management and more simplicity!).

 

Written by La Petite Crème

This piece was written by La Petite Crème - Cécile, co-founder of La Petite Crème, alongside Dr. Varisa, a US pediatrician and longtime advisor to the brand.

Cécile is a French mother raising her children in the United States. After becoming a parent, she was often struck by how different everyday baby care looked between France and the US - particularly around diapering and skin care.

 

Dr. Varisa was one of the first to notice those differences firsthand. As Cécile’s pediatrician, she was surprised that Cécile’s baby never experienced diaper rash. That question - why? - led to conversations about French diapering practices, classic liniment, and preventative skin care.

Those conversations became the foundation for La Petite Crème: a brand built around simple, consistent care inspired by French traditions and shaped by modern pediatric insight.

 

This blog post is for information purposes only and shouldn’t be used as personal, health, nutritional, or medical advice. Always consult with your pediatrician before making any decisions about your child's health or readiness for various foods.