In March 2020 when the world shut down, so did my practice. I was teaching most days of the week, sharing the Educaring Approach in small groups of parents and children and loving it.
Of course, anything ‘in-person’ ground to a sharp halt when Covid started spreading, but I still wanted to be a resource to the families I served. So I began writing to them. That’s the heart of this website: an evolving collection of my musings on all things RIE: child development, parent support, resources and ideas. The site is searchable, but if you are looking for something specific you can’t find, you’re invited to write to me.
How many of you have a book (or dozen) on your nightstand that you intend to read, but just don’t get around to it? (Raises hand). My online book discussion groups meet over zoom on a weekly basis to discuss just one chapter at a time of books we’ve been wanting to read. We discuss the book and how it relates to RIE, and to each person’s parenting practices.
Someday, I look forward to teaching traditional RIE Parent-Infant Guidance classes again.
For now, I’m content with hosting RIE in the Wild classes (all outdoor, no toys).
I also teach prenatal classes, in-home caregiver (Nanny, Grandparent, etc.) classes, provide private consultations for parents, training for child care centers, and am certified to teach the RIE Foundations Training course for interested groups. While I traditionally have offered these all in-person, I’m currently offering all of these services online.
RIE toys are actually simple, household objects that you can find around your home or in a kitchen supply store. I’ve collected a few items to get your collection going (also great for gifts).
One way to encourage autonomy and fine motor finesse is to allow children the opportunity to pour their own water and drink from an open cup. These are the same glasses and pitchers I use when I serve snack.
One of the most frequent questions I get is “where can I get RIE furniture”? Well, here! Right now, we’re just making stools, but will be expanding the repertoire soon!