How to Ask Your Nanny-Family to Help Pay For Professional Development One of the best things you, as a nanny, can do for the children in your care is to keep your current skills fresh and continue learning new things. Even a ve...
Don't Stress, Just Spot - How To Keep Kids Safe in Challenging Situations Without Taking OverIt can be stressful to watch children, especially babies, navigate new play structures and climbing equipment. When a baby climbs to the top of a play struct...
Caring for the CaregiverI recently participated in FORM's new Ask the Associate column in their newsletter. I'm happy to share my contribution about caring for the caregiver below. ...
Baby-Friendly Gift IdeasWhether you are about to buy a gift for a baby yourself, or looking to give suggestions to friends or relatives, I have some great baby-friendly ideas for yo...
Tips for Kid-Friendly, Healthy CookingCooking for babies and young kids not only can be simple, it should be simple! Here are my tips, proven 100% effective by a certain 6 year old who names vege...
The Quest for a "RIE Nanny" - Things to Look For, and How to Train HerI receive many requests from people who would like help finding a "RIE Nanny", and occasionally from a nanny looking for a great family. Someday, I will deve...
Too Many Toys! - 5 Steps for Dealing with Toy OverloadJust like adults, children can find it difficult to focus in environments where there are too many toys. Clutter makes it hard for them to get deep into play...
Limits Are My ResponsibilityIt is sadly common for parents and caregivers to place the responsibility around limits in the hands of the child. They set a limit and then expect the child...
The Power of Touch“If the gestures of the adult are not gentle and tender, but indifferent, quick, “professional,” if the hand that lifts, holds, carries the infant does not p...
The Development of EmpathyBy letting children work out most conflicts on their own, while adults provide narration and keep things safe, we show that we trust that children will devel...
An Example of Selective InterventionWhen children struggle, there really isn’t one “right” way to help them that will work every time. Our job is to be patient, keep things safe, and do our be...
Three Conflicts, Three SolutionsI have a few interesting sharing interactions in the toddler class to share with you. During all these interactions, I was nearby. I narrated and made sur...
Self Soothing (It's Not Just for Babies...)You’ve probably heard that children respond best to parents and caregivers who are calm and unruffled. This is very important for establishing sleep routines...
Why Should I Let Someone Take A Child's Toy?Giving children the opportunity to solve conflicts on their own allows children to come up with varied, authentic responses to conflict, all of which have re...
Supporting Solo Free PlayLots of families I have worked with want to know….What kind of stimulation do babies need from us? When is the right time to narrate play or play with a chi...
Creating a Safe Play SpaceA safe play space, also called a Yes Space, is an essential part of a baby's life. If there is a safe place you can leave your child to play, your life opens...
No Matter Where They Sleep...4 Tips for Every Family's SleepWhether you cosleep or not, you can establish routines that work to the benefit of the whole family, whether it is moving the baby from one bed to another, o...
DIY PlaygroupsIf you can’t find a RIE® Parent Infant Guidance™ class to suit your schedule, consider starting your own playgroup. This will provide you and like-minded fam...