Resources for Infant Educarers

"At RIE, we urge parents to relax, observe, and enjoy what their babies are doing, noticing, and enjoying new skills as they develop naturally. A parent's role is to provide a secure and predictable environment. You do have to be sensitive to your infant's needs; the infant has to feel your caring presence. But you don't have to teach. You don't have to buy more gadgets. You and your infant can just exist and enjoy each other as your relationship develops." Magda Gerber from Dear Parent: Caring for Infant's With Respect

RIE Associate Eileen Henry, author of Compassionate Sleep Solutions, is kicking off our summer webinar series with a webinar on Sleep. It's something we all need and yet it can be allusive for so many. Looking for peaceful & respectful ways to support better sleep for your baby- join us June 16, 2021 when Eileen shares her decades of experience working with families of young children to find restful sleep. http://ow.ly/ZOrA50F4NuY

Join RIE Associate Ruth Mason when in person RIE Parent Infant Guidance Classes return in Israel. Starting June 15 at 10 AM, in Tel Aviv, PI classes support parents deepening their understanding of the Educaring Approach. Classes are held in 8 week sessions. This class is for infants who are pre walkers. Please contact Ruth for more information: [email protected]

It's that time of year again, when the world seems to say we have to be everything to everyone. But this holiday season, we ask you respectfully to be kind to yourself. Someone wise once said they won't remember the perfectly wrapped presents, the insta ready outfits, or the long searched for toy. They remember the way they feel, they remember our joy, they remember time spent together contented and at peace. Wishing you all a peaceful and content holiday season in this very challenging year.

Join us starting this weekend for our Before Baby course. Written for those who are preparing to become parents in mind, this course introduces the elements of respectful caregiving (diapering, bathing, feeding, and sleeping), in addition to providing information on infant development, and the importance of natural gross motor development. Offered online over three Saturdays, this course is here to start you off on your parenting journey with confidence and trust in both you and your baby's abilities. http://ow.ly/cVWW50CAV2y

Together we can make a more compassionate, respectful world, one where every baby is afforded the best start in life. Your donations help us grow our scholarship fund which allows us to expand the number of infants and toddlers raised in responsive, reciprocal, and respectful relationships with compassionate adults. Research shows knowledge of child development makes adults more effective parents and caregivers. Our courses continue to reach more child development professionals each year. As we grow our scholarship fund, we are able to offer even more students the opportunity to see infants with new eyes and bring this new understanding back to their communities to sow the seeds of change. Help us raise a better world. #givingtuesday.

RIE Associate Ruth Mason is starting a new 6 week series of Parent Guidance Classes soon. Delivered through Zoom and meeting for 1 hour each Sunday, Ruth's classes offer parents a chance to deepen their understanding of RIE Principles. For more information please email her at [email protected] or head to her Facebook Page RIE Mindful Parenting Israel to learn more.

Meet RIE Associate Diana Suskind, Ed.D! Diana is an international Early Childhood consultant and artist. She developed Stonework Play as an activity inspiring children and adults to create meaningful stories through contact with nature; something she passionately believes today’s world needs. Diana initiated this activity at HEMS School in Kathmandu, Nepal, and has since introduced it throughout the United States, as well as in Europe and Central America. Dr. Suskind recently retired as associate professor after 30 years of service in the Education Department at Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA. Tuesday, November 3 is International Stonework Play Day. Collect some stones, create, and share your stories with #stoneworkplayday #yourstorymatters

Our very own RIE Associate Dr. Diana Suskind is the founder of Stonework Play . This November 3 is International Stonework Play Day- an invitation to enjoy the simple wonder of nature. Find some stones, a quite spot, and unlock your creativity. Share your stories and creations with the world with #internationalstoneworkplayday. Find out more on: http://ow.ly/PWai50C7ysY

Join RIE Associate Dr. Christina Cohen and Dr. Nanika Coorfor their monthly webinar series "How to Talk to Your Child about Race" this Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 8:00-9:30 PM EST as they discuss continue their discuss from last month "Is RIE for Everyone?" #rieassociate

Repost from @riesers_for_babies Our method, guided by respect for the infant’s competence, is observation. We observe carefully to understand the infant’s communications and his needs. The more we observe, the more we understand and appreciate the enormous amount and speed of learning that happens during the first two or three years of life. We become more humble, we teach less, and we provide an environment for learning instead. Magda Gerber (Dear parents: Caring for inf...ants with respect) To learn more about the RIE Principles join our next Nurturing Nannies en Espanol. Cuidadoras Carinosas Sign up your nannies who speak Spanish! #riecertifiedcourse #riezoomclasses #magdagerber #nurturingnannyenespanol #cuidadorascarinosas Only a few spots left. To register go to: https://www.larissaneilson.com/services - # #rieassociate #rieparenting #rie #respectfulparenting #mindfulparenting #peacefulparenting #consciousparenting #motherhoodrising

Thank you to all who attended, shared their voices, & helped make our 31st Annual Conference such a success. And an enormous thank you to our presenters & speakers for sharing their wisdom. We are so grateful to all who attended, shared their voice, & helped us all grow.

Today's the day! We are excited to start our two day virtual conference today! We are excited to see everyone there. If you experience any trouble connecting, please DM us or email us at [email protected] so we can assist you.

One more day until the conference! We look forward to seeing you there! To register head to: http://ow.ly/Af4s50C06YV

Meet RIE Associate Ruth Mason. In addition to being a RIE Associate, Ruth is a parent educator certified by the Early Childhood Development Center of New York Medical College and is studying to be a Pikler Pedagogue. Ruth is a journalist who has written extensively about parents and children, including articles on RIE and the Pikler approach. She wrote the weekly column, Parenting, in the Jerusalem Post for seven years. A Los Angeles native born to immigrant parents, Ruth is married to Bob Trachtenberg, a lawyer, and has three grown children and two grandchildren. She lives in Jerusalem, works as a writer, is the producer/director of the documentary "These are my Names" and the founder of the Ethiopian Children’s Scholarship Fund at the Jerusalem Conservatory Hassadna. Email [email protected] to learn more about her programs.

RIE Associate Ruth Mason shares this lovely story of what we can do when toddlers ask "why?" My granddaughter, Maayan, age 2.9 is suddenly at the why stage. I remember it well, especially from my second, Yosef, who at two never tired of asking Why? & How pom? It took him a while to get the hard c sound. At the time I thought, maybe he’ll be a scientist. But now I have a new and different take on the toddler why phenomenon, courtesy of my friend & RIE mentor, Hari Grebl...er. Yesterday, Maayan was walking around the big park by her house, wiping things down with a gauzy cloth she was carrying: the sign saying don’t go in the water, the bars on the fence, the low wall. At one point, she noticed the bird poop on the low wall. That’s bird poop, I said. Why? Well, birds don’t wear diapers and they don’t use the toilet, so when they poop it falls wherever they happen to be. Why? I’m thinking: I just told you why. Well, they fly and it falls and it lands here. Why? Later, I consulted with Hari about this little episode. I told her I wasn’t sure what Maayan was asking when she said why after I explained how the bird poop had gotten there. I joked that maybe I should have explained gravity to her, though she’s clearly too young for that. Still, I take it for granted that she understands gravity but maybe I’m wrong. But Hari, who has years of experience with toddlers and a deep, intuitive understanding of them and of babies, said: I think people are too ready to give factual explanations instead of wondering along with the child. I think when kids ask why it’s not about an actual factual answer but they want to continue the conversation. Aha! Hari has given me many aha! moments about babies and toddlers. Of course! Wonder along with them! It’s something she also teaches me about running a RIE parent-infant class. When a parent asks a question, instead of providing the answer, wonder along with them, she advises. When I remember to do that, I see it provides a richer experience for the parent and the group and often enables them to come up with their own answers based on the RIE principles they’ve learned. Thank you, Hari, for being by my side these last 15 years as I’ve deepened my knowledge and experience! Follow Ruth on her Facebook page RIE Mindful Parenting Israel. For more information on Hari Grebler please go to Harisriestudio.com

Elena is an early childhood teacher passionate about sharing Magda Gerber’s Educaring Approach within a group care context and finding ways to bridge the gap between home and centre life. She works alongside teachers in both New Zealand and Australia. Elena is a board member of New Zealand Infant and Toddler Consortium, and this together with her role as a RIE Associate, has opened up opportunities across the Asia Pacific region presenting workshops and seminars for pare...nts and teachers who are inspired by the works of Dr Emmi Pikler and Magda Gerber. You can contact her on elena.marouchosGmail Sharon is principal of Magic Child Infant and Toddler Consultancy, (www.magicchild.co.nz) facilitates all the RIE Programs and is a RIE Mentor. She has parent and infant classes weekly in Auckland, and has nearly facilitated RIE Foundations in every state in Australia, as well as annually in NZ. In 2021 she will host online Foundations for Australian and Asia Pacific students. Sharon consults with parents and also works with early childhood centres around Australia and NZ. She is Chair of New Zealand Infant Toddler Consortium. nzitc.co.nz You can contact her on [email protected]

Witnessing an infant's unfolding development is one of the many joys parents experience in our parenting classes. Parent-Infant Guidance classes allow parents to be the lucky audience to a child's becoming. The infants illustrate for us the importance and beauty of allowing them all to develop at their own pace at their own time.

Meet RIE Associate Alexandra Curtis. Alexandra is the author of Simple Toys Make Active Babies, a book about play spaces for infants and toddlers. Alexandra is the mother to three lovely daughters. She has presented nationally and internationally on a variety of birth to two topics. Alexandra earned her Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education and Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies with a Public Health focus at the University of South Florida. Alex was a founding Boa...rd Member of the Pikler/Loczy USA Fund and the Hillsborough County Breastfeeding Taskforce. She is an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and works at Lane Community College’s Family Connections program, providing training to child care providers. Learn more from Alex when she presents: "Supporting Providers in Improving the Quality of Care for Infants and Toddlers" at our conference Oct. 23-24. See more

Halloween is looking differently in the United States this year, yet there are still ways to include small children in a way that considers their perspective. Sometimes, we grown ups can get so excited about a holiday or tradition that it can be hard to remember that our small children may not be experiencing the holiday and tradition in the same way. Here are a few things to consider when planning your holiday this year.