Encouraging Kids To Play By Themselves
In this episode: Janet addresses a parent’s concerns about her daughter’s unwillingness to play independently. She seems to need constant stimulation and entertainment.
Search Results for independent play
Help, My Toddler Can’t Play Without Me!
“The inability to play independently inevitably increases the child’s sense of dependence on the adult. Conversely, independent activity allows him to experience autonomy.” – Éva Kálló and Györgyi Balog, The Origins of Free Play I often hear from parents concerned about their child’s inability to play alone. They perceive their child as either extra-needy, too … Continued
Play Space Inspiration
Observing our children’s self-directed play helps us to understand them, become more empathetic and attuned, and it is the key to finding more joy in day-to-day parenting. These benefits (and more) are the reason I’ve shared so many play-inspired posts and videos. Most have focused on the parent’s role in nurturing child-directed play and the … Continued
7 Gifts That Encourage Child-Directed Play
In case you haven’t noticed, play is hot. Once taken for granted as a universal childhood right, in the last decades aggressive marketers of early learning products and a focus on standardized testing have horned in on this valuable developmental time in a child’s life. But lately, it seems our collective appreciation for child-directed play … Continued
Stop Entertaining Your Toddler (And Free Their Play)
“How can I get my 2.5-year-old son to be more independent? He is my sidekick, my errand running buddy, and we thoroughly enjoy each other’s company. That being said, he seems incapable of doing anything without me right by his side, and honestly, it can get a bit frustrating. Am I asking too much of … Continued
Encouraging Baby’s Self-Directed Play
Hello Janet, I have found the basic tenets of RIE philosophy to be very intuitive. I naturally see my 5.5 month son as an independent and individual human being who is, for the time being, dependent on me for his basic needs etc. He and I are each other’s daily companions, and we have fallen … Continued
Potty And Play, Both Take Patience
Hi Janet, I’ve been meaning to drop you a line for it seems like forever now to pick your brain about a few things. I so miss having access to that brain of yours on a weekly basis! First, any ideas on getting a boy to sit on the potty to go pee, in prep … Continued
Shhh…Babies Playing (Scenes From a RIE Parenting Class)
I have a reverence for babies at play. Actually, any child at play. Even when my 9-year old builds forts, or creates stories with his soldiers, knights and dragons (sadly, becoming a rare occurrence) my husband and I are careful not to interrupt. So, I had very mixed feelings about filming the 7-10 month old … Continued
Baby, You Are Born To Play
I really didn’t think it would work. At a RIE Conference several years ago a friend and I were presenting a workshop on infant and toddler play and attempted an audacious experiment. We asked another friend to bring her 15 month old daughter to the event, daring to hope that the baby might give a … Continued
Infant Play – Great Minds At Work (Captured On Video!)
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.” But, actually, from the time a baby is weeks, even days old, … Continued
Every Child, Even a Tiny Baby, Deserves Time On Their Own (with Hari Grebler)
Do all human beings, even our babies, need time to themselves—freedom to make choices, initiate activities, think their own thoughts? In this episode, Janet and her special guest Hari Grebler say “yes” and explain why. Hari, a Magda Gerber protégé, was Janet’s first parenting teacher. Thirty years later, Hari continues to introduce parents in her parent-infant … Continued
How to be Strong Enough to Make the Really Big Changes
Our young kids are adaptable, so it’s always possible for us to change routines, rules, and behavior patterns that we decide are no longer beneficial for us or them. Problem is, our kids are bound to object— loudly, vociferously, perhaps relentlessly—when these changes aren’t their idea (which they seldom are). Our new plan may be met … Continued
Meltdowns That Keep Happening, Even When We’re Doing Everything Right
A parent writes that she’s feeling helpless and desperate about her 3-year-old’s frequent, intense meltdowns, which sometimes last up to an hour. This mom says they usually “relate to control and power struggles where he tells me or my husband to do something.” And although she remains calm, responds with empathetic words, assures him that … Continued