Nursery World - To the point... (6)

This week's columnist Helen Penn considers what mutual trust between children and adults can do for social behaviour For the past four years, I have spent my summer holidays in south-west France with my grandchildren, at a small resort on the Mediterranean. It is not a fashionable or well-known place, and the beach is used mainly by French families.

For the past four years, I have spent my summer holidays in south-west France with my grandchildren, at a small resort on the Mediterranean. It is not a fashionable or well-known place, and the beach is used mainly by French families.

There are several things that never cease to amaze me. First, even when the beach is very crowded, there is never any litter. The French families who use this beach do not picnic or snack or eat between meals. Instead, the beach empties for lunch. There are no crisp packets, sweet papers, fizzy drink cans or ice-cream wrappers.

Second, you very rarely hear children whining or being shouted at. Everyone seems so relaxed and polite. Perhaps it is the Mediterranean sunshine. The beach has lifeguards, and the sea is shallow, but even so, no-one seems anxious about the children, who are allowed to potter and play without vigilant supervision. Nor are children bribed with snacks to keep them quiet.

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