School is in session on this episode of Parentalité as hosts Joelle Benoliel, Rachelle Chapman and Meg Gerner chat with our guest Derek Ferguson, Scottish dad and director of The Roaming Schoolhouse.

TRS offers after-school enrichment, spoken entirely in English, for bilingual students. We discuss the evolution of TRS, and its mission to make learning in English fun and engaging. We also touch on some of the particularities of the French education system, and the challenges of getting your child into college/lycée with international sections.

Parentalité is a collaboration between Message Paris, an association helping anglophone parents and caretakers of children connect in Île de France, and World Radio Paris. ARBL Murray (Alex Brook Lynn produced this episode for World Radio Paris.

To find out more about Message Paris, go to https://www.messageparis.org

To find out more about WRP or donate, visit https://worldradioparis.org/donate/

These are a few of our favorite things! Paris can be a great place in winter with kids IF you know where to look for things to do! Joelle Benoliel, Rachelle Chapman, and producer ARBL Murray talk about some of their favorite things to do during the holidays with kids from toddler to teen.

To find out more about Message Paris go to: https://www.messageparis.org

To find out more about WRP or Donate visit: https://worldradioparis.org/donate/

On this episode of Parentalité we talk about the science and culture of raising bilingual children. Sarah (Cheang) Oudet a researcher in the field of autism, bilingualism, and both cognitive and communicative development. As someone who is also raising bilingual kids in France she is uniquely qualified to demystify some of our questions and assumptions around learning multiple languages in general and for nerodivergent kids. Meg Gerner is our host this week.

Sarah was the guest speaker at “Fostering Bilingualism: Supporting Your Child’s Language Journey”, an event hosted by Message Paris that occurred on November 5th 2025.

Parentalité is a collaboration between Message Paris, an association helping anglophone parents and caretakers of children connect in Île de France, and World Radio Paris. ARBL Murray (Alex Brook Lynn produced this episode for World Radio Paris.

To find out more about Message Paris go to: https://www.messageparis.org

To find out more about WRP or Donate visit: https://worldradioparis.org/donate/

This Fall on Parentalité, we are celebrating Diwali with Indian Pastry Chef Anshita Gupta. Anshita is classically trained in French pastry but decided to worlk in Indian pastries and American style layered cakes. Anshita tells us all about what it is like to reinvent your career during motherhood, she started in tech and left that field for baking! We talk about what it’s like living as an expat from India, raising a son in Paris, and how to balance the family culture from India with French culture. Anshita also lets us in on what she thinks are the most authentic Indian restaurants in Paris. And of course we all get a crash course in Diwali, what to eat, what to wear, and where to be.

You can sign up for the Paris Diwali Festival with Message Paris here.

You can find out more about the amazing offerings of Anshita Gupta on her website or on Instagram.

Parentalité is a collaboration between Message Paris and WRP. This episode was produced by ARBL Murray and recorded in the 11th arrondissement of Paris.

To find out more about Message Paris go to: https://www.messageparis.org

To find out more about WRP or Donate visit: https://worldradioparis.org/donate/

In this episode of Parentalité, Joelle Benoliel interviews Self-Care Strategist Kleidi Jeen about how to regulate your nervous system in the face of starting a business, being a parent, living in Paris, and keeping yourself mentally healthy. We learn about Kleidi’s journey from Louisiana to Paris, and with Joelle she goes over a few strategies and practices to ward off overwhelm.

Kleidi is a “Self-Care Strategist for Creatives Who Launch.” She uses her SUNDAE approach to help creatives start their brand or business.

You can find out more on the SOFT SUNDAE website, or follow Kleidi on Instagram at @softsundaestudio.

To find out more about Message Paris go to: https://www.messageparis.org

To find out more about WRP or Donate visit: https://worldradioparis.org/donate/

In France coming back to school, and back to work after the summer vacation is a very important time of year. The French refer to this part of the year as “rentrée.” We decided to take a deep dive into the French school system with Romy Treneer who raised two children in Paris while teaching in the French university system before embarking on a career in the corporate sector.

French schooling is internationally lauded but it isn’t all perfect. Romy guides us through the common misconceptions, and the challenges we face when judging the philosophy and methods behind the French Schools. With hosts Meg Gerner and ARBL Murray, Romy talks about the differences in parenting and teaching ideology between France and the United States and how are political viewpoints shape the expectations we have for our kids.

Romy Treneer has extensive experience in acclimating to the French way life both in her professional and personal life. She has started a consulting agency, Treneer Consulting, to help anglophones navigate work, visas, schooling, starting a business, and even buying property in France. You can also check out her Substack, Parisian Chronicles.

Book Recommendations in This Episode: They Shoot School Kids Don’t They? by Peter Gumbel

To find out more about Message Paris go to: https://www.messageparis.org

To find out more about WRP or Donate visit: https://worldradioparis.org/donate/

In this episode, we learn about the history of the parks and playgrounds in Paris with special guest Adam Levy, who talks about the idea behind creating play centered spaces through-out the age of industry. Later, Joelle, Rachelle, and Meg, talk about their favorite parks and picnic spots in Paris. For those with kids or just looking for a great place to picnic “like a Parisian,” enjoy the secrets gardens in the latest episode of Parentalité. This show is a collaboration between World Radio Paris and Message Paris, an association supporting anglophone parents and caretakers of children in the Paris region.

Check out the full list of our park recommendations here

To find out more about Message Paris go to: https://www.messageparis.org

To find out more about WRP or Donate visit: https://worldradioparis.org/donate/

On this episode of Parentalité, Joelle Benoliel visits the wonderful, magical, anglophone bookshop for kids and talks with the owner and founder, Penelope Fletcher. Just adjacent to Jardin du Luxembourg, The Red Balloon is the kid focused section of The Red Wheelbarrow and is a haven for little readers and their parents to come, learn, pick out books, and build community.

Penelope raised her children in Paris while opening and maintaining the Red Wheelbarrow. She shares her beautiful story of love, difficulty, children, and books in the city of Paris. She also gives her 3 current favorites for young readers.

For more information on The Redwheelbarrow and The Red Balloon please visit their website: https://theredwheelbarrowbookstore.com/

PARENTALITÉ is a produced in collaboration with Message Paris, an association of anglophone caretakers and parents in the Paris Region.

This episode was produced by ARBL Murray for World Radio Paris and Message Paris with Host Joelle Benoliel on Location at The Red Balloon Bookstore.

To find out more about Message Paris go to: https://www.messageparis.org

To find out more about WRP or Donate visit: https://worldradioparis.org/donate/

In this episode of Parentalité Joelle, Meg, and Rachelle, talk with Christine Siler about Menopause. Christine (Tina) is a menopause policy advocate and is changing the way women, men, doctors, and families see menopause.

In some cultures it was regarded as a sacred time when a women transitioned into a wiser peaceful keeper of the community, now many fear and dread it. Tina is working to change the policy and medical care around menopause so that the women in our lives can move into this phase with dignity.

Tina is producing a screening of ‘The M Factor’ an important and controversial documentary about menopause medical policy and a panel discussion afterward on June 4th 2025, 19:00-21:30 at the historic Luminor Theater in the Marais.

Our crew talks candidly about how, with the appropriate support both emotional and medical, this can be something to look forward to. A huge part of the discussion is around access to medication and research and bringing those things to the medical system in France. How and when to start advocating for yourself.

To buy tickets and more info about the M Factor screening in Paris visit:

https://www.messageparis.org/event-details/the-m-factor-in-paris

For more information on Christine Siler visit:

https://www.christinesiler.com/

Christine’s Linkedin

Parentalité is produced by ARBL Murray for World Radio Paris and recorded at their studio.

On this episode of Parentalité we talk about the French way of reading and storytelling with children.

First, Meg Gerner chats with Oliver Gee and Lina Nordin Gee, the parent duo responsible for the popular podcast The Earful Tower, about their series of children’s books which all feature precocious animal characters who galavant around Paris. Lena talks about being a creative mom with a toddler and a newborn and Oliver gives us insight into their reading habits with three languages in the household.

Later in the Episode Joelle Benoliel and Rachelle Chapman talk about reading culture with kids in France from the huge influence of Bond Dessiners (graphic novels or comic style books) to the prevalence of libraries in the lives of French children.

We talk about our favorite books growing up, and the favorite books of our children growing up in France.

Recommendations From This Episode

Check out The children’s books by Oliver and Lina Nordin Gee set in Paris for kids of all ages.

https://theearfultower.com/shop/

Our Favorite Books When We Were Young

Joelle: Stormy with a chance of Meatballs, U.S.A

Lena: Pippi Longstocking , Sweden

Lena: A Sunday Doll (en söndagsdocka), Sweden

Rachelle: The Giving Tree, Saul Silverstien, U.S.A

New Kids Books in English

Joelle recommends, Halibut Jackson

Oliver Gee recommends, The Gruffalo and all the Julia Donaldson books.

Current French Books for Our Francophone Kids

Roule Galette (young) A classic tale about a Galette Roi (King Cake) who escapes those who wish to eat her.

Ana, Ana (young)

Les trots petits cochons Three little pigs as architects by Steven GUARNACCIA. (Young)

Les Cahiers d’Esther (Notebooks of Esther) 9 – 12 years

L’Arabe du Future (Arab of the future) Teenagers and adults