Janet Lansbury’s book entitled Elevating Child Care – A guide to respectful parenting, was insipid by the parenting philosophy of Magda Gerber.
The book offers parents tips and advice based on a parenting philosophy known as RIE parenting (Resources for Infant Educarers). When parents look at the world from their babies’ perspective and they start to see them as separate, unique people with their own capabilities; then they give their babies the space to show them who they are and what they need. It is an approach based on gaining awareness through observation; in so doing parents become self-aware and allow themselves not to simply react based on what they assume their babies need, but rather recognise that just adults, children have feelings that they want to express and rather than trying to make the ‘bad’ feelings go away as quickly as possible, parents are encouraged to support their children as they express and work through these feelings. This in turn creates an environment with many opportunities to learn and discover.
The book contains roughly 30 articles which cover topics such as; ‘Babies and Sleep’, ‘Infant Play – Great minds at work’, ‘Calming your clingy child’ and ‘I think I know why you’re yelling’.
Many of the articles found in the book are available on Janet’s website; http://www.janetlansbury.com/articles/
These articles offer parents practical advice on how to implement RIE principles in a particular situation. They are well worth a read for any parent who is struggling with their baby or toddler’s behaviour or alternatively are interested in a fresh approach to parenting.
Contributed by Occupational Therapist Kelly Westerman of Clamber Club Toddlers – Milnerton
Tel: 076 100 4737
Email: milnerton@clamberclub.com
Website: www.clamberclub.com