Posted by
janet on Aug 11th, 2010
I recently received an email from Lily, who is encouraging her 6 month old baby to play independently and had questions about his frustration with toys. She kindly allowed me to share it with you (not the frustration or the toys…just the email):
“I loved your post about giving babies independent play time. I have a 6 month old little boy who is super easy and wonderful. When I read about giving him time to...
Posted by
janet on Jul 16th, 2010
Last week’s parent/toddler class was all about feeling ‘stuck’.
The previous week, 21 month old Audrey had wedged herself between the bars of the wooden climbing structure and looked at me with a worried expression. “Are you stuck?” I asked. I moved close and — without touching her — talked her through pulling her legs out from between the bars and reaching to the bar below so that she could...
Posted by
janet on May 11th, 2010
When my children were babies, I dreaded the end of Mother’s Day. As that magical respite of appreciation and pampering came to a close, I felt my ball gown slowly unraveling and transforming back into rags. The next day I’d return to servitude, subverting my whims to fill the needs of others, Cinderella once again.
There is no question that parenting, particularly for the first years, requires tremendous...
Posted by
janet on May 4th, 2010
Recent studies confirm the connection between physical activity and enhanced cognitive functioning in children, middle-aged adults, even the elderly. Exercise builds muscle, increases coordination, strengthens immunity, speeds metabolism, elevates moods and activates the mind. So, there’s hope for us all if we can just keep moving.
Thankfully, our infants don’t need to go to the gym, take exercise classes, or be...
Posted by
janet on Feb 27th, 2010
I’ve observed hundreds of babies over seventeen years and am comfortable that I have some insight into their worlds, but I still feel a little awkward when I describe ‘infant play’ to others. I sense the person thinking, “Oh yeah, right, infants playing — bring out the lacrosse sticks!” But, actually, from the time a baby is weeks, even days old, she can begin the joyful habit of inner-directed...
Posted by
janet on Feb 8th, 2010
Hovering parents are taking a beating in the media these days. In an avalanche of recent articles, they are shamed, scolded and mocked for hyper-involvement in their children’s lives. ‘Experts’ are coming out of the woodwork with smug superiority, issuing dire warnings about the anxious, insecure children hovering parents are raising. We’re getting an earful about the problems, but zilch in the way of...
Posted by
janet on Dec 6th, 2009
An infant sits stiffly on the floor, unable to move his legs or extend his arms without losing his balance… A toddler steps off a platform and takes a tumble… Another toddler climbs the bars to the top of a wooden structure, then panics and cries out for his mom, who rushes over to rescue him…
These are children in my classes who are less physically self-assured than they might be for one simple reason: their...
Posted by
janet on Sep 12th, 2009
Many months after becoming a mom I realized a shocking truth: we don’t need to buy every contraption on display at the baby super store! I had fallen into the trap of believing I needed all the technology that was available. I naively assumed that these products must be in stores because they were helpful and necessary, and no one had advised me to do otherwise.
‘Luckily,’ I found hand-me-downs from...