Here's my interview with Trevor Mattea from New Books in Education in which we discuss the importance of giving full vs. fractured attention, responding to a crying child, play objects and the importance of play -- and a whole lot more! If you'd like to hear about other upcoming interviews, events and workshops, join my list by signing up at the bottom of this page.
More than 30 years ago, RIE® Founding Director, Magda Gerber, said, “Children need time to explore and figure out the world around them.” Although most of us would agree with her statement, there is a significant number of babies who are over-scheduled, exercised, and taught rather than being allowed to develop and discover at their own unhurried pace. Push-down curriculum doesn’t begin in nursery or elementary school; it often starts in infancy. What’s the hurry? Babyhood should be enjoyed at a leisurely pace. Nowadays, life moves so quickly and trying to keep up with changes in the digital age is humanly impossible. Yet, there is a growing conversation about how to find ways to slow things down and live a less complicated life. Yet, even with this awareness, it still remains countercultural to create and maintain a simple, unhurried life for a baby and to allow him the time to discover things on his own. If we consider the profound growth and learning that takes place in the first two, short, years of a child’s life –coming to know and trust those who take care of him; laying on his back to balancing in an upright position; palming objects to [...]