RIE Parenting – A Culture Of Creativity

There was a buzz about RIE last week. The Daily Beast, Parenting and ivillage posted articles referring to RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) classes as a trendy “celebrity craze”,  and even insinuated that participants constituted a cult. For members and advocates of infant expert Magda Gerber’s non-profit organization, one that’s inspired a diverse community of parents, early childhood educators and...

Swept Up Imagining (A Play Object Lesson)

I know… it’s ugly. But like almost any object babies encounter, they find this mini sweeper and dustpan an intriguing tool for creative play. It is an example of the simple objects we use as ‘toys’ in our parent/toddler classes and recommend for children who are past the put-everything-in-my-mouth stage. The beauty is that it can be used creatively in multiple ways. Sometimes children use the brush as...

Toddlers Invent The Silliest Games (And 33 More Reasons To Let Babies Play Their Way)

There’s a reason I never tire of writing about inner-directed play. Infant and toddler playtime is parenting gold. Creating a safe play environment allows us a well-deserved, occasional break, and if we sit nearby, observe and respond, playtime can provide a wealth of inspiration. Parents are typically in short supply of both those things. Can we ever get enough rest or inspiration?  Thrilled and relieved to be...

Do You Really Say “Yes”?

My sisters and I had my mom pegged, and we never grew tired of teasing her about it. When we asked my mom for something and she said, “We’ll see”, it always seemed to lead to a “no”. “Maybe” usually turned out to mean “yes”. So we would whine and beg, “Just say maybe, pleeeeeze!”  Now that I’m a mom and have learned that parenting is an endless list of really hard decisions that can make...

Accepting Grandparents’ Good Intentions (With Humble Apologies To My Father-in-Law)

After meeting motherhood dazed, confused, even panicked, I was greatly relieved to discover a child-rearing philosophy that made perfect sense to me. Captivated and empowered by infant expert Magda Gerber and RIE, I set about following her parenting principles to the letter. My gusto caused some missteps. The one I regret most is offending my father-in-law.  My handsome, fun-loving father-in-law is a successful...

Baby, Interrupted – 7 Ways To Build Your Child’s Focus And Attention Span

You’re off and writing. You’ve cracked the blank page and the keyboard’s clicking. Time melts away, as does the chirping bird, the sound of distant traffic, the tick of the clock, and the discomfort of the broken wicker desk chair you’ve been meaning to replace for months. Suddenly the doorbell jars you. It’s a neighbor friend. She snaps you out of ‘flow’, and back into reality. You love her dearly,...

A Letter That Changed My Day

I was in a gloomy, what’s-it-all-about funk recently when I received something miraculous — a letter that changed everything. Touched, flattered and gratified on many levels by this note, the passion I usually have for my work was instantly invigorated.  I share the letter here because it resonates with me, reminding me of the intense moment of recognition I had when I first discovered infant expert Magda...

Nurturing Creativity (How I Learned to Shut Up)

Years ago, my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter was coloring Easter eggs. She had dipped an egg into the purple-dye cup and was about to blend it with yellow dye, when I stopped her. “You might not like the way those colors will look together,” I warned.  Willful girl that she’s always been, she overruled me and proceeded to mix colors that I was certain would combine to look like a putrid shade of late...