Status Updates From The RIE Manual

“RIE’s goal is to help raise authentic infants who are: competent, confident, curious attentive, exploring, cooperative, secure, peaceful, focused, self-initiating, resourceful, involved, cheerful, aware, interested, and self-directed.”

cnt’d… “Involvement of the child in all care activities to allow the child to become an active participant rather than a passive recipient. Sensitive observation of the child in order to understand her needs. Consistency, clearly defined limits and expectations to develop discipline.”

“In order to foster quality care, RIE encourages: Basic trust in the child to be an initiator, an explorer, and a self learner. An environment for the child that is physically safe, cognitively challenging, and emotionally nurturing. Time for uninterrupted play. Freedom to explore and interact with other infants.”

"As a result of better educational work the children become more difficult to manage in certain respects. They become less quiet, the number of conflicts will increase, supervision must be closer, they call for increased attention. A good many routine methods of care and organization must be discontinued."

"As you will see, from the newborn period on, we keep in mind our goals to guide infants to become self reliant and independent. When I say independent, I mean independent in choosing and using a toy, in moving any way he wants to, in using his time as he pleases, to become gradually more and more independent in feeding, clothing, and bathing himself."

"But I have to stress that to meet the needs of infants in groups and out of their families is not an easy task. It works well only with professionals who are specially trained to work with children under three years of age, with suitable staff-infant ratio, adequate equipment, and plenty of room for the children, indoors and outdoors."

"Accordingly, a satisfactory relationship between adult and child is formed primarily during the physical contacts, i.e., dressing, bathing, feeding, etc., when the adult and child are in intimate personal contact."

"An intimate, trusting relationship is the prerequisite for healthy separation and individuation of the child. Only after he gets 'refueled' during the unhurried time he spends with his carer will he be willing to let go of the carer and explore his environment."

"3. Respect is shown by treating the infant as an active participant, rather than as a passive recipient in all interaction. 4. The infant does not need direct teaching or help to achieve natural stages of gross motor and sensory-motor development."

"1. An infant living in an institution derives security from a predictable environment, and the opportunity for anticipation and making choices. 2. An infant needs an intimate, stable relationship with one constant person (a mother figure). This relationship can best be developed during individualized care-giving activities."

"In our programs, parents are guided to learn how to observe, understand, respect and enjoy the individuality of their own and other infants."

"Parents have tremendous responsibility--they guide our future generations. If you can help parents to perceive and accept the child at his own developmental level, and to learn how to understand and respond to his needs, you can prevent problems before they develop, rather than having the difficult job of undoing them later in life."

"We are, and should be, concerned that the care we provide leaves our infants unharmed, self-reliant and authentic."

“At Loczy, the role of the carer is to facilitate the development of an active child who is challenged by problems, enjoys his autonomy, and trusts adults.”

“Trust and intimacy between carer and infant can best be developed during routine caregiving activities and these most consistently repeated experiences have a cumulative effect on both infant and carer. If the carer gives total, unhurried attention each time she cares for an infant, he gets ‘refueled’ with human contact and individual attention and is willing to autonomously explore.”

“Respect is shown by treating the infant as an active participant rather than as a passive recipient in all interactions.”

“The role of the educarer is to provide an environment that is physically safe, cognitively challenging, and emotionally nurturing.”

“Only a child who receives undivided attention from her educarer during all routine caregiving activities will be free and interested to explore her environment without needing too much intervention from the educarer.”

“The more you invest in those first early years of parenting, the easier your life will be later on.”