RIE: Discover Your Baby (pre-crawling & crawling): In-Person

• CLASS DESCRIPTION
• DETAILS
• FACILITATOR(S)

The non-member rate for this 5 week series is $218 and the member rate is $187. Click here to purchase your membership today.

• Class Description

  This series is designed for babies who are not yet walking (pre-crawling & crawling).

  Discover Your Babys unique personality in a peaceful, safe play setting that encourages babies to become attentive, active and curious explorers. The RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) philosophy is all about respect — specifically, responding to infants and children with the same respectfulness we try to use in our adult relationships. In this 5 week series, parents are the natural experts, observing and learning from their own child, other participants, and from an experienced parent educator.

  Rather than a guided play activity class where parents decide how babies move and explore, this class is all about reading baby’s cues and learning how to more carefully consider when to intervene in your babys exploration and more importantly, when not to.

  Beginning with a foundational overview of RIE philosophy and the work of Magda Gerber introducing respectful caregiving, this series will give you the space, time, and guidance to notice what your child can do rather than what they cannot.

  -You will learn about and practice balancing baby’s needs and your own and tune in to your unique child and family circumstance.
  -You will connect in the joy of observing your child’s unfolding developmental process and discuss how to turn your home into a supportive sanctuary without expensive toys or gimmicks.
  -Along with facilitated discussion, there will be intentional time for observing the babies and the opportunity for reflection and development in your attunement and reverence for your baby

  Please Note:

  -Content covered in these sessions is included in the Details section below.
  -Registration includes one or two adults and one child.
  -See the Details tab for more information regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.
  -Bring a small blanket or quilt to place your baby on.
  -Click here to learn more about RIE

• Details

  The curriculum is your baby. Weekly class topics include all the basic Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) Principles with relevant handouts. Any and all questions and concerns about infant development and parenting are welcome from every participant during an open sharing time.

  Each session will generally follow 3 seprate blocks of content. Your time will begin with sensitive observation for 20-30 minutes followed by group discussion and course content facilitated by Lee.

  Week 1: What is Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) and where did it come from? Who was Magda Gerber? Define educarer. TRUST in your child to be an initiator, an explorer and a self learner.

  Week 2: FREEDOM TO MOVE, to explore and INTERACT with others. The connection between movement and brain development.

  Week 3: SENSITIVE OBSERVATION in order to understand your childs needs. QUALITY WANTS NOTHING TIME. Learn from your baby; your baby is your teacher. TIME for uninterrupted play. We do less so they can do more.

  WEEK 4: INVOLVEMENT OF YOUR CHILD in all caregiving activities to allow your child to become an active participant rather than a passive Recipient. QUALITY WANTS SOMETHING TIME. Using diapering, dressing, feeding, bathing as connecting times.

  WEEK 5. The childs ENVIRONMENT is physically safe, cognitively challenging and emotionally nurturing. Creating a safe YES SPACE for your baby. Simple, engaging play objects and toys.

  The following processes have been put into place in order to facilitate a clean learning environment for your child:

  -One or two adults per child may attend.
  -Only clean, sanitized toys will be available for play.
  -The facilitator will remove “mouthed” toys from the play space throughout the session.
  -All equipment will be sanitized between sessions.
  -Studio rugs will be covered with a clean sheet.
  -No food will be provided during class. We ask that snacks are provided prior to or following the session.

• Facilitator(s)

  Lee Fernandez has 55 years as a parent educator, teacher, preschool owner and administrator of university and military child care programs. Lee was fortunate to study and work directly with Maga Gerber. She has been teaching RIE Parent-Infant Guidance Classes since 1988. www.discoveryourbaby.org