The film tells about the daily lives of young children in Thiers, France. Patrick, thirteen years old, struggles through his first sentimental fervors, while other kids experience their own small dramas: Grégory falls from the window and gets away unharmed, Sylvie, reprimanded for whining, asks for help from all her neighbours, the brothers Deluca get into trouble trying to earn some money and Julien, the main character, is a gipsy and is mistreated by his family. Truffaut, specialized in stories about children's psycology, shows the difficulties in the relationship between children and adults, a relationship with no hope of mutual understanding.