This podcast discusses the basics of Respectful Parenting, including perceiving babies as whole people, effective communication with babies, including babies in daily activities, and the importance of uninterrupted self-directed play for infants.
16:21
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Quick takeaways
Respectful Parenting emphasizes authentic communication with babies, building their communication skills and acknowledging their thoughts and feelings.
Respectful Parenting promotes uninterrupted self-directed play, honoring the child's perspective and fostering a respectful parent-child relationship.
Deep dives
The Holistic Approach of Respectful Parenting
Respectful Parenting, also known as the RIE approach, is a holistic approach to parenting that emphasizes perceiving children as whole people right from the beginning. This approach focuses on developing a person-to-person relationship with children, understanding their unique perspectives, and facilitating their development rather than trying to direct it. The guidelines of Respectful Parenting encourage authentic communication with babies and inviting them to actively participate in caregiving activities. This approach promotes uninterrupted self-directed play and sensitively observing children's play choices.
Communicating Authentically and Engaging in Caregiving Activities
Respectful Parenting emphasizes communicating authentically with babies and using real words to talk about real things that pertain to them. By following this guideline, parents can encourage babies to build communication skills and understand that they have their own thoughts and feelings. Additionally, Respectful Parenting encourages inviting babies to actively participate in caregiving activities like diapering, bathing, meals, and bedtime rituals. This inclusion and focused attention nurture the parent-child relationship, provide a sense of security, and enable children to engage in self-directed play.
Encouraging Uninterrupted Self-Directed Play
Respectful Parenting promotes uninterrupted self-directed play, even for the youngest infants. By offering free play opportunities and sensitively observing without needless interruptions, parents can trust that their child's play choices are enough. This guideline honors the child's point of view and fosters a sense of respect for their perspectives. It also helps parents realize that they are interacting with a unique person, leading to a more joyful and enriching parent-child relationship.
Janet responds to a frequent reader request to introduce and summarize the RIE parenting approach. She begins in this podcast by discussing the first 3 basics she shared in her article "RIE Parenting Basics - 9 Ways To Put Respect Into Action".
For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (https://adbl.co/2OBVztZ).
Also available for download, her audio series "Sessions" -- recorded consultations with parents discussing their most immediate and pressing concerns (SessionsAudio.com).
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