Magda Gerber, an early childhood educator with a passion to care for young children, created the RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) parenting philosophy alongside pediatrician Emmi Pickler, who shared the vision that young children can reach their full potential when viewed with respect and trust to allow them to be active participants in their own lives.
The RIE method is guided by:
"Respect" for the child.
- Respect for their competence.
- Respect for their authenticity.
- Respect for their moods and feelings., whether positive or negative.
- Respect for their stage-appropriate competence in all areas of development, based not on age but (on) readiness.
- Respect for their need for self-expression and communication
The RIE method is guided by "Trust" in the infant's competence.
To have the basic trust in the infant to be an initiator, to be an explorer eager to learn what he/she is ready for. Because of this trust, we provide the infant with only enough help necessary to allow the child to enjoy mastery of his/her own actions.
The core of RIE parenting/ caregiving is to see even the youngest infant as a unique human being, not as an object.
"We not only respect babies, we demonstrate our respect every time we interact with them. Respecting a child means treating even the youngest infant as a human being, not an object.” - Magda Gerber
Our Parent-Infant Gatherings are a space for you to pause, spend time in sensitive observations and gain an awareness of your baby's cues to understand what baby is saying, this can lead to a more secure attachment and help build a trusting relationship.
Each time, you will take home a respectful approach, new observations, and new information to support your parenting journey.
We welcome you to our parent-infant gatherings, a time for pause and a time to connect with your child in an intimate small group.