One of the things you’ll notice if you ever visit France is that their schedule begins and ends later than back in the U.S. For school children here, class begins at 8:30. In some schools it’s 8:45. Offices open at 9 am.
Children get out of school at 4:30 in the afternoon and have ‘snack’. Dinner is served around 7 or 8 o’clock at night depending on the family. The news is also at 8pm sharp.
After the news the nightly programming runs from 9pm to midnight. Many a’french go to bed after that time.
I remember when my French mother in-law and her sister were visiting my parents, they couldn’t believe how early we ate dinner (as early as 5:30 if they had things to do at night but usually around 6-6:30) and how early everyone went to bed! At 10 o’clock my parents were out cold yet the French were still bright eyed and bushy tailed and wondering why there was nothing good on TV.
I can never get to sleep before midnight anymore. It doesn’t help that often times French channels will show not one but THREE episodes of a popular show in a row. (There are commercial breaks every thirty minutes here- not every five minutes like in the U.S.)
What is your schedule like? Would you have any problem adapting to the French way of life or are you naturally a late-night person?
21 comments:
I think that would be kinda nice. I don't go to bed until midnight but I get up at somewhat early too. :)
I am NOT a morning person and my childhood would have been much easier if school started later! Unfortunately I'm still getting up early, since I have to be at work before 9:00 a.m. I'm stuck there until 5:00, when I come home and make dinner, attempt to do laundry, straighten up my house, write, etc. By 10:00 I can't keep my eyes open anymore and by 6:30 the next morning it starts all over again.
My kids' schools don't start until about 9 am, but some start at 8 am (and finish at 2:30 pm).
I stay up until about 11 pm (if I don't fall asleep first) reading, but I get up at 5 am to do blogging or writing (mostly blogging). Based on my weird schedule, I'm not sure how well I would survive in France. But then I probably wouldn't get up at 5 am. ;)
I could totally get into not having Monster Child go to school at 8:30, but I'd still be up with the birds. I could eat dinner at eight, but then I'd have to go to bed right after.
I'm a night owl, anyway. I think I'd do just fine. :)
Evenings are my wake up times so yay - I'll adapt!!! Do they still have 2 hour lunchbreaks?? Then definitely, I'll adapt! :-) Take care
x
Dinner 6-6:30, prime time t.v. begins at 7, bedtime 10pm, up at 6a.m. Sounds like your parents, huh?
I would love to live in France, even if just for the 6 weeks vacation every year.
With staying up late, it has become a reality--since that is the time when kids are in bed and when I can blog or whatever.
The late dinners would be difficult for me to adjust to; we usually eat around 5 pm and I could go earlier on most days.
I should move to France. I never go to bed before midnight.
School starts at 8:45 for one and 9:00 for the other but both finish at 3:15 here (UK) Work is the standard 9-5.
I think what's going on is the French are running on British time :-)
I so hear ya! It's like that in Greece too. People start going out for dinner at 10pm!
You'll probably recall from one of my own blog posts that I'm a bit of a night owl - but not really because I want to be. I don't get to sleep until after midnight either, but I'm up at 6. Maybe if I lived in France, if they begin the day later too, I'd get on OK - but I'd probably just end up going to bed after 3a.m.! And I don't like the idea of eating dinner later than 5:30. I'm always hungry :)
Considering that my "bedtime" is usually 3 am when I stay up late writing, I would have no problem with the French way.
Dinner around 6pm bed by 9:30 up by 5 am during the work week. On weekends dinner around 6pm bed by 10:30 (yeah I'm crazy like that) up by 6:30. I can't even remember the last time I was up past 11 besides new years eve. Great Post!
I get up around 7:00a.m. and go to work from 8:00a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Then I begin my family time. Watch TV/hang out with my wife, eat dinner,etc. Then we watch our regular nightly TV shows or a movie. Then we read, or I write, and that goes on until after midnight. I then putter around some more with reading or writing and end my day around 2:00a.m. Or 3:00a.m. Then I sleep for 4 hours and do it again.
I only need 4 hours of sleep to function normally. Now that the baby is here though I'm sure that will change dramatically!
The French way of life sounds like the fun way. And with good food too!
I could live in France! Bedtime is 12:30-1:30 if I work the next day..Weekends, I stay up and sleep in as late as possible!
I prefer to be a late night person than an early morning person, so I think the French system would suit me better :P
I would totally love that schedule. My hubby is a to-bed at ten, up at 5 am person. Sooooo not me. I lived in Florence for a summer, 10 am classes were very conducive to a similar schedule. :)
New York is the same. See, I'm actually French. That's why this Puritanical American schedule is KILLING ME... :D LOL! <3
summer's almost here~
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