One of the hottest trends in early education is the approach of the West Coast-based organization RIE, or Resources for Infant Educarers. Founded by Magda Gerber in the 1970s, RIE is dedicated to improving the quality of infant care and education, and encourages parents to bond with their babies through observation, attentive care and trust in their natural abilities—a philosophy that helps parents remain calm and in control, and helps babies cultivate a sense of independence early on.— The RIE philosophy is relatively new to New York City, but one of the organizations that is embracing it is Kids At Work, the children’s activity and enrichment center in Chelsea. In addition to its regular menu of children’s classes, Kids At Work is offering RIE guidance classes for parents of infants and toddlers. For more info, visit kidsatworknyc.com. For a more specific sense of what RIE is all about here are a few articles:
Start with Janet Landsbury’s wonderful website, which is full of thoughtful reflections on topics like ways to building your child’s focus, and toddler discipline without shame. A longtime RIE educator, Landsbury just has a lot to say about early parenting, whether or not you feel the RIE approach is for you in every regard.
Alternative Mama has a lot of interesting thoughts on how RIE is similar to and different from Attachment Parenting, especially on breastfeeding and sleep-training.
In a piece in the Mother Nature Network, the writer likes RIE’s general principals but wonders if it’s really necessary to do away with popular activities like tummy time, and to stop “sh sh shussing” a crying a child if it calms them.
