How to Grow Old Like a French Guy

Mais certainement, the French know how to age their cheese, their wine and their men. So we asked Pamela Druckerman, author of Bringing Up Bébé: One America Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting, what aging American men can learn from their Gallic counterparts. Here, her tips for your homme; feel free to leave them next to his Croissan'wich tomorrow morning

by Pamela Druckerman

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Don’t assume getting old means getting fat

You may wish to settle into a Barcalounger and inflate your spare tire, but try to resist. Play tennis, go swimming or do aikido. But skip the gym, which is tedious and lonesome.

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Shore up the sexy with some strategic purchases that distract from your receding hairline

Splurge on eyeglasses, well-made shoes and a stylish coat. Never wear shorts except when playing tennis.

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Love women your own age, for their rich inner lives and their legs toned from dance class

Not convinced that laugh lines and stretch marks don’t matter? Watch movies starring Catherine Deneuve (left), Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert and Charlotte Rampling.

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Do not cheat on your spouse, even if you’re having a "crise de la quarantaine: (midlife crisis)

But if you do, don’t confess like a guilty, blustering fool. This is your private matter. Wrap it up. Get over it. Marriage is long, and the heart is complex.

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Do flirt

Treat this not as a slippery slope to intercourse, divorce and death but as one of life’s great pleasures and as a reminder that your blood is still pumping. Flirt in a non lecherous way, because you know that the behavior isn’t leading anywhere: It’s harmless, goalless fun.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com / Robert Kneschke