Les Ateliers

Life in a Paris flat is not easy.  Apartments are small and often very basic.  It is a long climb to the 5th, 6th or 7th floor in an older Paris building without a lift.  Then, with several children in a small flat, there isn't much room for them to play and let off steam.  This would, obviously, drive their parents to distraction. So what is the answer? One sees far more young children in prams and pushers both on the streets and in the parks,  but for us, what we believe is the most interesting solution to the dilemma parents face is the atelier. 
 

Our Nearest Atelier

A Little Theatre connected with an Atelier

The Theatre's Atelier

An atelier is a workshop and may be almost anything you want it to be.  But what we have noticed is that there are a great many of these specializing in after-school and holiday activities for children of all ages.  Indeed, looking out of our apartment window there is one directly across from us. We watch with interest children arriving after school and we can see them painting, play acting and playing games.

Schedules and Activities at Ateliers

Of course, "after school" is much later here than in Australia or the United States.  Today we saw a sign in front of a school advising that children are expected to arrive at 7:50 in the morning for the start of school at 8:05am.  Even for young students school generally does not finish until around 5:00pm.

Both French children and French parents seem to manage very well with this system.  There is a long school day followed by after school activities at the atelier.  Are there lessons to be learned here from a system which seems to produce happy, well-adjusted, multi-lingual and highly educated children?