Disclaimer: In the diverse and sometimes divisive world of parenting advice, one parent’s mistake is another’s best practice. So, for clarification, the way I define ‘mistake’ reflects the parenting ...
When we draw, mold, paint, or even build a sandcastle for our child, we can discourage her from doing those things herself. If she can’t do as well as mommy or daddy, why bother? The unfortunate resu...
The infant in this video will forever banish the common perception of babies as helpless, passive and incapable. Infants will astonish us with their innate abilities. The hard part is letting them. W...
“There are three kinds of people who look at you this way…lovers, the insane, and babies.” – Magda Gerber commenting on an infant’s gaze. When it comes to our relationships with our children, it’s th...
“My husband’s only brother got married, and we were all invited to be in the wedding, even Nicky. I’m so proud to say that Nicky walked down the aisle successfully, even when nobody (not ...
“My son spent an HOUR playing with a small metal tea kettle on the deck, the kind made for one serving of tea. He used that tea kettle in so many ways. He opened it and listened to its insides and th...
‘Respect’ is vital to parenting, but the word can confuse us, especially when it comes to setting limits with toddlers. Children need lots of opportunities to be autonomous and have their choices res...
Through all my struggles with mothering, I never stopped striving — for insight, for healing, for wholeness. And that changed everything, and I believe it is why my son and daughter have both f...
“It was my four years of RIE classes (two with each of my two children) that set me on the path culminating in what I’m writing you about today. I’m struck by the deep similarities in our stories.” T...
Parents often ask me how to get their children to focus, but that’s not our job, nor is it necessary. Our responsibility is to provide open-ended opportunities for kids to choose what they wish to fo...
It’s good to feel needed, but when we become parents, we realize we never knew “needy”. As Magda Gerber aptly noted, parenting brings with it a “feeling of un-freeness”, whether we’re in the presence...
Conventional wisdom might call it blog suicide to suggest negatives about a practice that probably 90% of parents do with their babies (n.b. – a very unscientific survey). Is it really worth th...
“Distracting and redirecting did not fool him. Time outs and rewards did not motivate him.” This is the story of a bright, spirited toddler with exceptionally loving parents who felt their family “...
Encouraging kids to express their feelings would seem to be one of the simpler aspects of parenting, yes? Far from it. Our children’s tears and tantrums are messy, embarrassing and extremely challen...
Hello Janet, My name is Chris, and I have been devouring the content on your website during the past two weeks. It has been a tremendous blessing as I seek to help my 12-month old daughter grow to he...
“Oh, look, he’s walking! He’s a little person now!” We’ve all heard these comments about infants and toddlers and have probably made them ourselves. So, that begs the question: at what age do babies ...
Raising babies with trust and respect can be scary. As “right” as Magda Gerber’s approach always felt to me, I had moments of doubt in the beginning. Is it really enough to let young children develop...
I’ve been told that I “understand” toddlers (and nothing could be a greater compliment). This might be because my own emotional development was partially arrested as a toddler for reasons I haven’t y...
If parenting were film acting, we’d always be brilliant because we’d have plenty of “takes” to perfect our responses (not to mention make-up, hair styling and ridiculously high salaries). But we are...
The words we use matter. Infants are not “its”. Toddlers don’t need “taming”. Wild animals might need taming (in the rare instance that’s necessary), but toddlers need acceptance, guidance, and under...
Hi Janet, My son is 3 years old and is a very happy child! He is at a RIE accredited Montessori school since he was little. I’m a working mom. I will never forget that after his first days at t...
True story: Holly was a tentative mom, someone who avoided setting limits. She told me she was having an impossible time getting three-year-old Eliza to sit in her car seat. She screamed, threw a fit...
“What parents teach is themselves, as models of what is human – by their moods, their reactions, their facial expressions and actions. These are the real things parents need to be aware of, and of ho...
I know, “Break-Dancing Baby” sounds exploitive and contrived to me, too. This isn’t. It’s a genuine example of a baby freely expressing herself — an exuberant celebration of natural gross motor...
“You know what I have found- NOTHING works all the time. I hear people saying that peaceful parenting doesn’t work and I hear people saying that spanking doesn’t work. Frankly, I can...
Ah, the irony. Two and a half years ago I was rarely online and didn’t know what a blog was, and here I am sharing blogging tips. But since my learning curve has been steep, especially this last year...
Will 2012 be the Year of the Baby? I’m hoping, yes. Perhaps this will be the year that babies are finally acknowledged as uniquely capable, full-fledged people. Maybe parents and caregivers will real...
If bloggers got year-end bonuses, this would be mine. In this note, a new mother shares her discovery of infant expert Magda Gerber’s child care approach and the profound effects it has had on her fa...
Time and time again I see toddlers benefitting from impulse control – ours, not theirs. Our natural tendencies to project and protect when our children seem challenged invariably lead us to intervene...
“We often think that children are cutest when they are most intent and serious about what they are doing. Patting a mud pie, for example. They act as if it were important. How satisfying for us to ...
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