In this episode: A concerned mom realizes she’s been interfering in her baby’s gross motor development by restricting movement and wonders if there are steps she can take to help get her baby get back on track. Hi, this is Janet Lansbury and in this episode of Unruffled, I’m going to be talking about something … Continued

Recent questions I’ve received about infant toys and play gave me an idea. Shana, the mother of a 9 month old, expressed concern that her boy’s occupation with books and “cruising” might not be “enough”, and asked if I could give “examples of what happens in your classes with this age group.” So, I made this … Continued

Conventional wisdom might call it unwise to suggest negatives about a practice that probably 90% of parents do with their babies (n.b. – a very unscientific survey). Is it really worth the grief to get into it? After struggling with this for a while now, my passion for natural gross motor development won out. So, … Continued

Although awareness of infant specialist Magda Gerber’s “babies are whole people” approach is increasing, many of her recommended child care practices are still considered unconventional. Parents and professionals who embrace Gerber’s vision of respectful infant care often feel alone in their views. And without the support of family, friends or associates (sometimes even the family … Continued

When you think about bonding with your child, what images come to mind? For me its kisses and hugs, gazing into each other’s eyes, playing together, laughing together hysterically as I did recently with my son when he asked my help with a poem he was writing for school. But there’s another type of bonding … Continued

In recent weeks, several readers have asked me to write a post they can share with family and friends to explain Magda Gerber’s RIE basics. Admittedly, simple and succinct aren’t my specialty, evidenced by the hundreds of 1000+ word blog posts I’ve written, all conceived to be under 700 words. With that caveat, I will give … Continued

Born Francis Albert Sinatra on Dec. 12, 1915 in Hoboken, NJ. Died May 14, 1998 of heart attack in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Calif.

When an infant approaches the end of his first year, parents begin to struggle with boundaries. Soft-hearted parents allow a child to climb all over them in my parent/infant class. The child is searching for limits and boundaries for his behavior. But moms and dads are often afraid to say, “I don’t want you to … Continued