11 Blogging Secrets I Learned In 2011

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, I thought I’d pass along some stuff that I wish I’d known earlier. Granted, you may know all of this already, but here goes… 1. Listen Turns out, blogging is less about speaking one’s mind than it is about...

Gentle Discipline In Action (Seeing Is Believing)

Do toddlers like to learn rules and follow directions? Are they capable of restraint, making decisions, self-discipline, patience, even unsolicited acts of kindness? Seeing is believing. In this brief video, not just one, but five extraordinary 14 to 18 month old toddlers demonstrate these things and more… (No actors were hired!) This is the first few minutes of snack time (traditionally consisting of bananas and...

Parenting Without The Labels

Here’s an understatement: first-time parenting can be daunting. The overwhelming responsibility many of us feel to “get it right” motivates us to seek child care information and advice.  The good news there is that we’ve already proven we have the basic requirement for good parenting – we care enough to ask questions. Then we discover the work of child care experts or methodologies like Attachment...

RIE Parenting – Good News (CBS Video)

Brimming with new conviction and enthusiasm after attending yesterday’s 22nd Annual RIE Infant/Toddler Conference, I’m looking forward to sharing highlights in the coming weeks. And while I’m digesting the brilliance of psychologist Alicia Lieberman and the insights and inspirational reports from the other talented presenters — educators, parents and child care professionals — I have more good RIE...

Baby Gets Bumped – Dad’s Remarkable Response (On Video)

When a baby falls down or gets hurt, even if it is obviously a minor injury, our instincts might tell us to rush over, pick her up immediately and shower her with sympathy or distraction in an attempt to calm her as quickly as possible. Infant expert Magda Gerber advised something a little different and counterintuitive (especially for those who find a baby’s cries difficult to hear…namely, all of us!). She...

Dealing With Parenting Differences Among Friends, Family And Kind Strangers

Those of us lucky enough to have discovered child care methods that resonate with us (like Attachment Parenting or Magda Gerber’s RIE Approach) often find ourselves in awkward situations with well-intentioned grandparents, friends or kind strangers who engage with our children differently than we’d like. Of course, it’s not their fault – they aren’t on ‘the program’ –and it always comes down to,...

You’re Invited! RIE Conference 2011

Educaring And Infant Mental Health: Creating Secure Beginnings – The 22nd Annual RIE Infant/Toddler Conference for Parents and Professionals As a member of the RIE Board of Directors and an enthusiastic advocate for Magda Gerber’s respectful approach to infant care, I’m thrilled to announce the 2011 RIE Conference (to be held Saturday, May 14, 2011 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles) featuring...

Respect, Trust, Acceptance – Magda Gerber’s Therapeutic Approach To Child Care

I was a newbie mom just beginning my studies with infant expert Magda Gerber when I first read Gloria Ohland’s story about Magda in her “Local Heroes” column at LA Weekly, and it resonated deeply. It still does. “Our Babies, Ourselves” (June, 1991) captures the spirit of Magda’s work with parents and infants as few articles have since… OUR BABIES, OURSELVES by Gloria Ohland Magda Gerber’s...